Miles from Home
by Oceanera12
Summary: Maurice ran from his past when it was shattered on a single night. Six years later, Sonic grows to care for a young fox. When the man who destroyed his life returns, Sonic has to find the strength to save what he couldn't save years ago. His Family (slightly AU Sonic meets Tails story) (Rating changed from K to T due to serious subjects such as suicide and child abuse. No cursing)
1. Bad Memories

**So the other day I was reading A TON of Sonic-meets-Tails fanfictions…and that got me thinking. We all know what happened to Tail's before the hedgehog showed up…but what about Sonic? Why does he fight Robotnik? I mean, he's the hero, but every hero has a motivation before they are actually a hero. Spider-Man stepped up because of his Uncle, Batman wanted Justice, etc. But why Sonic? So I started throwing idea's around and well…came up with this. Not sure how long it's going to take to type, but it's pretty long. I hope you all enjoy.**

 **To everyone who follow's my other story. I'm not abandoning, just wanted a change of scenery (and I'm suffering from writer's block). Thanks for understanding.**

 **To everyone who doesn't follow my story, please keep your language PG in the reviews (if you leave reviews) After all, there are younger's on this sight. Thank you.**

 **Here's how I think Sonic met Tail's… But before we get to that, here is how I think Sonic had a life. You may notice that I've crossed a few universe's, such as Archie and Sonic Underground. But don't worry, there's no singing from the kids. I think music tells a story itself, so I may list a song, not the lyrics. I suggest you look it up and listen to it while you read (if you can). One song I list lyrics, but there's a reason…hope you enjoy.**

 **Okay! Let's get moving!**

Sonic's POV:

People have asked why I fight. I've never given the true answer, but smirked and gave a thumbs up instead and usually answered with a question. People would laugh then move on. I avoided the subject at all costs, as it brought back painful memories…

Narrator's POV:

It's true, Julian and Aleena Hedgehog were poor as mice, but that never spoiled their attitudes. The two of them had fallen love in the last year of high school. By the second year of college, the two were engaged. Only one problem…

"But Daddy! I love him!"

"You are not marrying a blue mutant freak!"

Unfortunately, Aleena's parents didn't approve. Her father especially was against the whole thing, as he believed that anything or anyone who could run at the speed of sound was a mutant. He told his daughter that if she married him, then she and her offspring were not welcome in his home again.

Sorry to say that he held true to his word. Julian's parents had died the previous year, so there the two of them were no inheritance, no family to help out.

Did that bring them down? Absolutely not. They decided to settle deep in a forest where the nearest town was over 50 miles away. Every 5 or so mile's was another small cabin with a family, but nothing to major. Julian and Aleena couldn't have been happier. One year later, triplets were born.

First born was Maurice. He was his father in every way imaginable, with blue quills and green eyes. When the kid began to walk, the parent's also discovered he had his father's quick feet, zipping around the house.

Second was a girl, Sonia. She had pink quills and was the little princess of the family.

The last one was a boy named Manic. He was green and had wild quill's that stuck all over the place. His eyes shone with mischief.

The two parents couldn't have been prouder of their children. Aleena took care of them at home while Julian did package delivery in order to pay the bills. He came home late at night and left early, but always found time for his children, no matter how exhausted he was.

*Flash forward 4 years*

"Maurice! No fair!" Sonia ran after her brother as he zipped around the yard.

Instead of slowing down, the blue hedgehog sped up, yelling with joy the whole time.

Behind his older siblings, Manic trailed behind, trying to keep up with them. He got to the top of the hill and fell down coughing hard. "Son-*cough*. Maur-*cough, cough*…"

Fortunately for him, Sonia heard him. She ran back up the hill to her brother, calling Maurice the best she could. The older brother was nowhere in sight.

Sonia knelt down next to Manic. She held her brother tightly as he coughed and coughed. Even at a young age, Manic suffered from severe asemia. Several minutes later, Manic calmed down and began to breathe a little better.

Maurice zipped up the hill, coming to a stop next to his sibling's. Sonia began to yell at him,

"Maurice Hedgehog! You leave Manic here!" She scolded him profusely until Maurice sheepishly pulled out Manic's inhaler.

"He left it at home…" After handing it to Manic, he helped his brother up and walked down the hill with Sonia following close behind.

The three of them wandered back to the yard where their Mother waited. She swooped down on the three of them, kissing them on the cheek. "You three are later than usual."

"Manic had another fit…" Sonia supplied her Mother.

Aleena picked him up concerned and motioned for the other two to follow. Maurice piped up,

"Is Daddy home?"

"Not yet sweetie, you know how late he works." She sat down on the couch, still holding Manic. Very tenderly, she checked him out. Finding nothing wrong, she smiled. "You three always look after each other. I'm so proud of you! Cookies for the three of you after dinner!"

The three siblings cheered and ran to the dinner table.

*After dinner*

"Maurice, it's time for bed. Now come here and get in the tub!"

"No bath!"

Sonia and Manic had already bathed, but Maurice just would not get in. Aleena sighed just as Julian called from outside.

"Where's my troublesome threesome?"

He was greeted by six tiny arms around him. "Did I miss anything today?"

Aleena smiled, leaning against the doorway. "Just Maurice refusing to take a bath…again."

Julian chuckled and picked up Maurice, "If you want a story and song tonight, then you better listen to your Mother." Maurice grudgingly agreed.

After the shortest bath ever, the three children were tucked into bed. Julian and Aleena came in, smiling. Jokingly, Julian yawned. "Well I'm off to bed."

The three kids' immediately began to argue, even though they knew he was kidding like he did every night.

Julian laughed then sat down at the foot of Maurice's bed. "What story do you want this time?"

Sonia always wanted a story about a princess while Manic liked cowboys. Maurice was always different. Every night they switched between the siblings. Tonight, was Maurice's choice.

"Tell us about robot." Maurice smiled from under his blankets.

"Again? Alright," Julian smiled and then cleared his throat. "Once I was delivering a package to a nearby family. On my way I ran into a small bot that looked like a bee. It acted like a bee too, come to think of it. It came after me, shooting lasers and trying to keep your Dad in the same spot. But I wouldn't let him. I ran up a tree then jumped up on it, breaking the top open. Then out came this little bird! It was so cute, that I couldn't believe it was in that robot. He thanked me for getting him out of there, and then flew away."

Maurice smiled and asked the same question as he did every night, "Is that true, Daddy?"

Usually Julian would smile and nod, replying in a joking manner, "Everything I say is true!" But tonight was different. The Father smiled sadly at his blue son, "Yes son, it is."

The children looked a little confused at their Dad's sorrow, but Aleena stepped in. "Well kid's it's been a long day. Shall we sing tonight?"

Forgetting about their father's mood for a moment the three of them cheered.

Aleena smiled and started.

 _Song: Goodnight My Angel_

 _Artist: Billy Joel_

 _Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes  
And save these questions for another day  
I think I know what you've been asking me  
I think you know what I've been trying to say  
I promised I would never leave you  
Then you should always know  
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are  
I never will be far away_

Julian smiled again and sang the second verse.

 _Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep  
And still so many things I want to say  
Remember all the songs you sang for me  
When we went sailing on an emerald bay  
And like a boat out on the ocean  
I'm rocking you to sleep  
The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart  
You'll always be a part of me_

Maurice was starting to drop off. Manic was already sleeping softly and Sonia was almost gone.

 _Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream  
And dream how wonderful your life will be  
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby  
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me  
Someday we'll all be gone  
But lullabies go on and on  
They never die  
That's how you and I will be_

Maurice smiled as he fell asleep.

*one year later*

Maurice was playing with a racecar in the house when he heard his Father talking to his Mom. He frowned confused since his Dad hadn't called out that he was home. The young boy crawled behind a couch and listened.

"-I just don't like it…"

"I don't like it either Aleena, but someone has to help."

"I know…"

Julian took his wife's hand and kissed it. "I'll be back soon. I'll come back. I promise."

"I know you will." She kissed him gently.

Aleena handed him a small bag. "This will have food for a little while."

"Thanks sweetheart." Julian kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He sped out the door. Aleena stood in the door frame for several minutes. Maurice couldn't take it anymore.

"Where's Daddy going?"

Mom turned around and smiled at Maurice, "Daddy has some business to take care of in the next village over. He'll be back before you know it."

Maurice nodded slowly as Aleena went to make dinner. He sat at a chair by the window and stared out it, wanting to be the first to see Dad when he came back.

Every day for almost a year, Maurice sat at that window with his siblings for a least an hour. Every morning, he ran out of his room and peaked into his parent's to see if Dad had come home. Every night he stared out the window, hoping that his father would speed up any second.

Two days before his sixth birthday, Maurice was sitting in that same spot staring out the window.

"Maurice! What do you want for your birthday dinner?"

Maurice didn't answer, but continued to stare out the window. Aleena came around the corner and repeated herself.

"When's Dad coming back?"

The woman sighed sadly, "I don't know Maurice. But he'll be back."

"I know…"

She left her son staring out the window.

Five minutes later Sonia and Manic came by and convinced their brother to come play hide n seek. They played for an hour in the woods. When the sun started to go down, they began to make their way back. Slightly, Maurice heard a small boom, but knew what it was immediately. "Dad's home!"

The three of them began to run towards the house.

At the house, Aleena had also heard the Sonic Boom and smiled. She rushed over to the door and flung it open. Julian ran inside without pausing then shut the door behind him. "Are you okay?"

A bit confused, Aleena nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Oh, we've missed you so much!" She hugged him tightly. Julian looked around the house, his eyes still full of worry.

"Where are the kids?"

"Somewhere in the forest. They should be home soon."

"No!" Julian stopped then breathed deeply. "I mean, no. You need to get the kids and leave."

Now Aleena was defiantly confused. "Why?"

"Remember what I've been doing this past year? Well…"

Aleena caught her breath. "You mean he's coming…"

"Yes, now you need to go! Now!" He kissed her and pushed her out the door. "I'll be right behind you."

Aleena ran into the forest…straight into her kids. Maurice smiled up at his Mother, "Is Daddy home?"

He peered around her and smiled at the sight of his Father. Aleena stopped any of her kids from running to him. "Kid's we need to go. Now. Dad will be right behind us." The three of them stared after their Father as their Mother dragged them into the forest.

After he was out of sight, the three of them picked up the pace as Aleena began to run. "We're going to Uncle Chuck's, okay?"

"Okay…Mommy, what's going on?" Manic asked, already breathing heavily. Aleena picked him up and started to hurry with him.

"Your Father is expecting some company, but we aren't supposed to be there."

After a few minutes of silence, a large boom filled the air. Aleena could see a large smoke cloud rise from where her house was. Her blood went cold then she caught her emotion's and shoved them down.

"Hey kid's…we're going to play Hide and Travel."

"Hide and what?"

"It's simple enough. You have to hide and not get caught, but you have to get to a location first. You three have to stay together while I count. First one to Uncle Chuck's wins. Okay?"

Sonia and Manic nodded slowly. Maurice grabbed their hands and frowned.

Aleena began to softly count as the kid's hurried into the forest. She stopped counting at five and looked behind her. She began to run in the opposite direction of the kids.

Only seconds later, a bee robot showed up with Julian in its…stingers? It dropped him on the ground.

"Julian!" Aleena ran over and held him in her arms. He opened his eyes.

"Where are the kids?"

"They're safe…"

"Thank goodness…" He sighed softly.

A large white pod flew over the trees and came to a stop over the clearing. "Is this the Mrs.?" A cold voice laughed. "She hardly seems your type…"

Aleena tightened her grip on Julian. "I don't blame you…"

"I know…I love you Aleena."

"I love you too Julian." She cried silently and held him even tighter.

The cold voice laughed then pointed his robots at the two hedgehogs. "Well my old friend. I guess this is the end." The man smiled evilly. "Fire."

Husband and Wife kissed one last time then were engulfed in fire.

In the bushes nearby, Maurice ran away from the scene. Hearing the missile's launch and the explosion he had closed his eyes a few moment's too late. He picked up speed and ran back to his siblings.

Manic sat on a log trying to catch his breath with Sonia rubbing his back when Maurice ran up. "We need to move."

"But Manic need's to rest…" Sonia frowned.

Maurice helped his brother up. "We don't have time." He grabbed their arms and ran as fast as he could with them, Manic still coughing.

They didn't get very far.

"Hello, kiddies!" A cold voice called.

Maurice tried to keep pulling them, but Manic was on the verge of collapsing and Sonia couldn't keep running much longer.

The villain smiled and pointed a laser at the kids from behind then fired. The three hedgehogs went flying.

Sonia and Manic landed near one another. The sister helped brother up and began to run with renewed efforts. They ran as more bot's began to chase them through the forest.

Maurice was nowhere in sight.

The two kids ran for another mile until they got to Uncle Chuck. "Uncle Chuck! Uncle Chuck!"

The hedgehog poked his head out and yelped. "Get inside!" He pulled the two little kids inside as the robot's surrounded the building.

The man flew up a few moments behind. "Three bird's one stone…" He ordered the attack and every bot fired. Soon all that remained of the building was burning timber. The man smiled evilly and laughed. "That will teach people who mess with me!"

Only one mile behind him, Maurice woke up in ditch covered in small pieces of timber. He crawled out of the pile painfully and limped the mile to Uncle Chuck's. When he arrived, the bot's and man had left. All he found was burning timber.

The little boy fell to his knees and cried. He laid there for a whole day, crying and calling for anyone.

No one answered.

Two days later, he woke up on the ground; his cheek's stained with tears, his head pounding. Maurice stood up and looked around. Today was his birthday…he was six. The boy looked at the rising sun and closed his eyes.

 _Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream  
And dream how wonderful your life will be  
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby  
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me  
Someday we'll all be gone  
But lullabies go on and on  
They never die  
That's how you and I will be_

He opened them and fell to his knees. Staring at the ground he frowned.

"They'll never die…" He looked up again and stood up. Maurice looked at his Uncle's burned cabin then turned his back and took off running. He refused to cry anymore. He knew his parent's wouldn't want him to cry for so long. So he ran…and he never stopped.

 **I cried so hard while writing this. I think it was better in my head, but hey. You have to try. Next Chapter; Maurice becomes Sonic. Why Sonic? Two reasons. Next time. Reviews are always welcome.**


	2. Why Sonic?

**Hey everyone! I am actually enjoying writing this, even though I've cried like three time's. Not this chapter, but later. I'm so proud at how fast I'm typing this.**

 **Quantum27: Exactly what I thought! Who name's their kid Sonic? And I always love Sonia and Manic, even though that show was pretty bad at certain points. Sonic with siblings makes me so happy. Thanks for the review!**

 **Michael Wellington Prower: Thank you! Olglivie? I've never heard that… Who gave him that name? See, that, that would be a reason to change your name. Ugh… I happen to like Maurice as a name, it makes me laugh… Not crazy strange, but not a popular name. Thank you for the review!**

 **So this chapter we find what happens after all that tragedy happened to Maurice and why he changes his name. And no, it's not because he was teased about it or that he doesn't like it. So let's do it too it! (Sorry, I had to say that at least once…)**

Maurice's POV:

The first year was hard. At the age of six I had watched my parent's blow up and find my sibling's dead. Half the time I wanted to forget all about it. The other half the time I wanted to find a new family. Only one problem with that…

"Freak! Get out of here!"

"AHHH! Out you mutant!"

Apparently no one liked my super speed or the fact that I was blue… Go figure.

Eventually I just started wandering towns, keeping my speed down, begging for food or money. Being orphaned on the street's wasn't too bad…anyone who picked on me I just ran from. I never spoke to anyone, just surrounding myself in my own thoughts. When it got really cold at night's I curled up in a ball and wrapped myself in whatever I could find. Life was more or less enjoyable.

I had freedom, and usually had enough food. Usually. I kept to myself, never making friends or relationships. If life had taught me anything, it's that friend's left and relationships died. I had sworn to never make a friend, just because I knew they'd hurt me someday. Although there were moment's where I considered going back on that promise to myself.

For instance, one day I was sitting on the edge of the street begging for money, just like every other day. This man came by and dropped a five dollar bill in my mug. Didn't even know the guy, but he pulled out another bill and dropped it in again. I stared at the ten dollar's in shock then stared up at him.

The red echidna smiled down at me. "Mind if I sit down?"

I nodded slowly.

He sat down and stretched his legs. He pulled on his cowboy hat and covered his eyes. "So what's your name, son?"

I flinched at the word, but answered softly, "Maurice."

"I'm Locke. What are you doing on a corner begging for money? Shouldn't you be in an orphanage?"

"They won't take me because of my…talent."

"Talent?"

"I can run really fast…"

The stranger smiled. "Well I know how that feels… You know, you're about my son's age. His name's Knuckles. Maybe you'll meet him one day. You're not the only 'abnormal' person in the world. Wear it proudly."

I looked at my feet and then back at Locke. "How can I do that?"

"Well for one, don't be afraid to show off your talent. You were given that gift for a reason. For another thing, don't abuse your gift. Don't become a bully or something like that. Eventually, people may begin to like you." He straightened his hat and stared at me. "So young to be on your own…"

"I'm seven!"

"That's young, boy." He pulled out a 20 dollar bill and dropped it in my can. "Can I offer you a place to stay for tonight?"

I hesitated then shook my head. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"You're brave for such a young boy. I hope to see you again." He stood up and smiled, then left as sudden as he had come.

Two days later I moved towns. I had liked Locke, but knew if I stuck around then we'd get closer. I wasn't looking for that.

But I took his advice to heart. I wasn't afraid to run around anymore, but I didn't do it all the time. Eventually people saw my true heart and began to reach out to me, but I never enjoyed pity. As soon as the town wanted to help me, I left. Pity and charity was something I'd been taught to never look for. If I could take care of it myself, then I didn't need help from others.

When I was eight, there was a rabbit in the neighborhood who taught me how to read and write. Her name was Vanilla. When I could read properly and my penmanship was decent, I left the neighborhood.

I think that was when I started wondering about the rest of the world. I could read the signs on the road's and the places that were ahead. Pretty soon I was exploring more than begging. I discovered my love of running with nothing but the wind.

 _Song: Safe and Sound_

 _Artist: Taylor Swift_

I still remember the day I first broke the sound barrier. It made me shout with a joy that I hadn't felt since my family had died. As I ran, emotion's washed over me; joyful, sorrowful, you get the idea. Every time I broke the barrier a memory came back.

The first time was my Dad coming home from work and we kids would hug him tight. I was so surprised that I face planted in the ground.

After a few time's I got used to the strange sensation of running and experiencing old memories.

On my ninth birthday, I don't know how long I ran. It felt like hours. Without really noticing I had broken the sound barrier, a very precious memory came flooding over me.

When Sonia, Manic and I had turned five, our parent's had baked us a large cake frosted in blue, pink, and green. Well the three of us were playing tag in the house (something our parent's told us not to do) and we (and by we I mean me) ran into the table. The cake had gone flying up and landed on everyone. But instead of yelling at us, Mom had us clean up the mess and made another cake, this one was smaller than the first, but it was still just as good. The three of us blew out the candles at the same time. Jokingly my Father had asked what we wished for and of course we didn't tell him.

Back in the present, I smiled. _"I wish for a reason to run…"_ It was a weird wish, but I'd seen most of this side of the world. I loved running, but it had practically no purpose than just pleasing me. Come to think of it, my purpose in life was just that. Live another day. For what? Father had always told me that I need to help others; I just never really understood how I could. I just broke thing's I ran into. How could that help anyone?

I stopped on a large hill, over-looking the Green Hill Zone. Defiantly some strange land form's here…

With a sigh, I sat down and watched the sunbeam's touch the top of the tree's. Sonia would've loved this view… Manic would be trying to figure out how the ground made those loops… I looked across the landscape again. Mother would have brought a picnic… And Dad would have wanted to race me across the zone. I smiled slightly.

I wanted to stop running…scratch that. I needed to stop running. I missed my family, and I knew that, but I shouldn't just bury them in the ground. I needed to use them as motivation to do good…make it so no one feel's what I feel.

I stood up and smiled. Maurice was a scared little boy, who didn't want a thing to do with anyone. He hid his past, and tried to forget about it. I wasn't Maurice anymore…

Okay, then who am I?

I pondered that question the whole day, trying to come up with an answer. I started with a name. I used Locke's advice and tried to base it around my speed…but at the same time I wanted something to honor my family. I thought about Flash, but decided it was too obvious. I almost went with Julian, but decided that was too close to home.

I had decided I wasn't going to shove my past up everyone's throats. I still didn't want pity from anyone, but I wanted to do something that would make me think of what I was trying to do, every time they said my name.

Frustrated, I pull out a book. Vanilla had given it to me to help practice my reading, and it was by far my favorite. It was called, "The Book of Random Facts." I had skimmed through it a few times, but that day I opened to a random page and read aloud.

"When something moves so fast that it breaks the sound barrier, a large sound called a Sonic Boom is heard."

Well, duh. I knew that already. My father had always told me that he loved to make Sonic Booms…

Sonic…

I frowned and shut the book. Mouthing the word in my mouth I nodded slightly. I have to say, I rather liked it. It related to my speed and had a very small connection to my past. After a moment I rolled my eyes, "Nah, it's still too obvious."

I began to draw words in the dirt, just out of pure boredom. I couldn't get the name Sonic out of my head, but I just couldn't make myself commit to it with such a small connection to my family…

I drew name's that I'd come across the past year's and my family's name's. Still nothing popped out at me.

My hand's hovered over my sibling's names. Sonia and Manic… I missed them so much. Yeah, I missed my parent's, but since they were my triplet's I felt like a part of my heart was missing…

Sonia…Manic…Son-…-ic…Sonic.

I stared in shock at the three names in front of me. Sonia and Manic…cut of the end of my sister's name and the beginning of my brother's and you had Sonic.

That was a good enough reason to me. Sonic…people would think it was for my speed, but I knew the real reason…

It was for them.

I smiled, one of the first real smiles I'd done in a long time. I stood up and ran. Where was I running too? I didn't know, but I didn't care. As long as I kept running, I was happy.

 **Yeah, I didn't notice the combining 'til my Father pointed it out… Ouch. Next Chapter… Meeting Robotnik for the first time…right? Review please! I love feedback! (maybe a little too much…)**


	3. First Meeting, Not!

**Hello again! I changed the title from 'Running from the Past' to 'Miles from Home', hope you like it! How did Robotnik meet Sonic…? That's the main question of this chapter. The other question is; Has Sonic met him already? And how? Dun, dun, duh! Action!**

Sonic's POV:

It had been a year since I had sat up on that hill…and I still didn't have a purpose in life. I had been much more open to other's and actually stayed in villages for about a month, instead of a week, but I didn't think that was much better than usual.

But here I was, back at Green Hill zone, now 10 year's old. I ran through the area as fast as I could…which mean's I didn't notice the random robot in front of me.

"Woah!" I cried as I crashed into it. The bot exploded on impact.

I flew back and landed on the ground with a thump. "Ouch…" Slowly, I stood up and surveyed the damage.

"Why is there a random robot in the middle of nowhere?"

As if to answer my question a small chirping came from under a piece of metal. Gently, I lifted it up and out shot a little bird. With a start, I realized it was a flickie.

"Hey, where'd you come from little guy?"

He chirped loudly, flying over the wreckage. He pecked at the scrap pieces of metal and appeared to be annoyed with it.

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

The little bird flew over and pulled me by the ear.

"Ouch! What?"

He pulled a little more gently then flew off stopping every once in a while to make sure I was following.

After a few minutes we ran into another bot, this one looked like a bee. The flickie began to peck at the thing. Annoyed, the bot attempted to shot it.

"Hey!" I ran up and spun into it. This one exploded in a similar fashion as the first one, but I was ready this time. I flipped backwards and landed in a crouch on the ground. To my surprise, another flickie popped out of the bot.

"What the… You were in there?"

The two birds flew around me chirping and pulling at my ears. "Hey! Okay! I'm coming!" For the rest of the day the two birds lead me throughout the zone, destroying robot's releasing their little critter friends. As the sun started to go down, my two little friends' lead me to a large metal container.

"What's this thing?"

The two of them jumped up and down on the yellow switch until I complied and jumped up. Out came tons of little creature's. My two little guides chirped a thank you, and then flew off with them. I smiled and leaned against the now empty container. With a sigh, I closed my eyes and thought long and hard about what I'd scene.

"What person would put animal's in machines…?"

" _Once I was delivering a package to a nearby family. On my way I ran into a small bot that looked like a bee. It acted like a bee too, come to think of it. It came after me, shooting lasers and trying to keep your Dad in the same spot. But I wouldn't let him. I ran up a tree then jumped up on it, breaking the top open. Then out came this little bird! It was so cute, that I couldn't believe it was in that robot. He thanked me for getting him out of there, and then flew away."_

My eye's popped open.

" _Is that true, Daddy?"_

" _Yes son, it is."_

Did my Dad know something about this? If that story was true…then what's going on?

I stood up and stretched. "Well, I know what I'm doing tomorrow…"

Sure enough, I was running around the next day destroying every bot I ran into. I found another capsule and released all of the defenseless captured creatures. The following day was the same thing… crash robots and free creature's in capsules.

Every time I watched the small creature's fly away to freedom, I can't describe it exactly. But I felt lighter, almost freer than I'd ever been. I smiled and my heart seemed to sing with joy. My favorite part was when they thanked me with their little chirps and other little noises.

On the evening of the third day, I once again pondered who was responsible for doing this too this poor creature's while leaning against the empty prison. No one deserved to be locked inside a small robot, forced to power it from the inside.

"Ooh- ho- oh-!"

I sprung to my feet at the laugh and looked around, trying to find the source.

"Where are you, you little to robot smasher?! I have a little present for you!"

I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that. I hid behind one of the strange land formations and peaked out around the edge.

A very fat man with a large mustache sat in some strange floating orb. Dangling from that orb was a large wreaking ball that didn't look very welcoming. He called for me again, with that shrill voice.

I smirked and ran, jumping up on the orb then speeding off before he got a good look at me.

"Hey! Where are you!? I, Dr. Robotnik demand to see who's trashing my robots!"

I smiled again and called back, "You're bot's? You really need to make them better." I ran around in a circle and jumped up on the orb again, zipping out of sight again.

The 'Doctor,' apparently, yelled in frustration. "You little rat… Where are you?"

"I'm not a rat!" I ran up and bounced on the top again, coming to a stop right in front of him, my back turned away from his face. "I'm a hedgehog."

Robotnik started to growl then stopped mid growl. "Julian?"

I whirled around, "How do you know my Dad?"

"Your… Ha, ha, ha, ha! That's a hoot! The son following in his Father's footsteps! Ha!"

I crouched down and narrowed my eyes. "How did you know him?"

"Well he used to trash my bot's many years ago…wait… I remember you now. I never got your name thought…"

Slowly, I stood up. "What are you talking about?"

He smiled a very familiar grin, "Did he not tell you? Well I was having fun taking over villages, you know; for my empire. Well, everything had been going great until your father showed up. He drove my bot's back with his annoying speed, which you apparently inherited."

"Well one day, one of my Buzzer's caught video feed of another speeding hedgehog in a nearby forest. I had him investigate and low and behold a mini Julian was running around with two other kids." He pointed at me, "That'd be you and your sibling's. Well I sent a little message to Julian telling him I would be…visiting…his little family in the woods."

I felt my blood go cold. "That was you…chasing us in the woods. You killed my parent's…"

"Well he was getting in the way. What else was I supposed to do?"

"But you killed my Mother and my sibling's and my Uncle!" I yelled.

He frowned, "And I thought I had gotten rid of you too… No matter. I'll fix that right now." Robotnik swung his giant wreaking ball in my direction.

I jumped up and attacked the top again, this time as hard as I could. The wrecking ball fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

Robotnik growled in frustration, "I'll be back, Julian Jr." He pulled up in a separate orb and flew away.

"It's Sonic!" I yelled at him.

"Whatever! But I will destroy you! Just as I did your family!"

I ran after him as long as I could, but eventually lost him in the clouds. With a frustrated yell and kicked a rock of a cliff. "What do you want from me!?" I yelled at no one in particular.

With a sigh, I collapsed on the ground and slowly started to calm down. I had just met the man who had murdered my family…and he wanted to make an empire. I shivered at that thought. That man as a ruler would be a nightmare come true. But what was I supposed to do? I closed my eye, my thought's swirling around and around.

" _Well, everything had been going great until your father showed up. He drove my bot's back with his annoying speed, which you apparently inherited."_

" _I just don't like it…"_

" _I don't like it either Aleena, but someone has to help."_

" _I know…"_

" _I wish for a reason to run…"_

I put my head in my hands.

 _Dad held me in his arms and looked up at the star's. I had just run into more trouble…literally. "What am I going to do with you?" He paused then smiled at me, "Maurice, I don't blame you for getting in a fight, but sometimes violence isn't the answer. Always try and fix the situation without violence first, then fight. Yes, there are situations where you skip to the second part, such as someone is trying to physically harm you or someone else. That's called protection, and certain people can't protect themselves. That's when you step in. Do you understand?"_

" _Yes Father…"_

I sighed then stood up. "I don't want to do this…I never wanted this." Not sure why I spoke out loud, but it felt right. "I never wanted any of this to happen you. But I know that if I don't do anything, the same thing is going to happen to other kid's. Live's will be lost, not just yours… So I'm doing this for you Dad, because you taught me to stand up for people who can't protect themselves; for you Mom, because you protected me with your last breath; for you Manic and Sonia because you were always there for me." I got in a start position as if I was running a race. I tilted my head up, _"On your mark, get set…"_

"GO!"

I sped off, not caring where I was headed…only what I was doing.

 **Mmmm…Not what I pictured originally, but it worked. Hope you enjoyed it, and I think this explains why Sonic is still fighting Robotnik/Eggman. There's a reason, we just don't know about it… Tell me what you think! I'd love to hear.**


	4. Miles

**Hi again! I forgot to say what was next! Silly me… Today, we learn how Sonic met Tails… Well sort of. We've learned about Sonic; now let's learn about Tail's. His past isn't has long, but it's sad in a different way.**

 **Now there's the fact's that remain in every way they meet. It's raining, it's night, there is bully's involved, it's in an alley or other dark area such as the forest, Sonic helps him, instant friendship, right? WRONG. Yes, I'm keeping a few things, like the rain and night and there is bully's but we're changing the order of things. And also, what happens if Sonic sticks up for him, but didn't actually stick around. Yep… Go grab a box of tissues and get ready to cry. It's one of these chapters.**

Narrator's POV:

*2 years after Sonic met Robotnik*

For a six year old, he knew about stuff he shouldn't know about. Like why plant's grow and how car's run. But he also knows about thing's he REALLY shouldn't know about.

Like the fact that his Mother died in childbirth. Or that his Father didn't want a 'mutant freak' as a son. And that his Sister was the only one cared about him when he was in the house. Or that his sister couldn't take the pain of their Father and breaking up with her Boyfriend so she jumped. Then there was the fact that his Father cast out a three year old to fend for himself.

He had also learned that two tails made him a target for bullying and his smarts didn't help the cause.

Which is why he was hiding in the wood's, in the middle of the biggest rain storm of the year.

Yep, he really knew thing's he shouldn't, little Miles Prower.

There was one thing he had always wanted…but it was something that would never happen to him.

He shivered slightly as a drop of rain landed on his nose. He sneezed and buried his head in his knees. Suddenly, a bush rustled nearby. The little fox looked up with fear in his eyes and a figure tumbled out of the brush.

"Ouch!" The stranger stood up and brushed himself off. "Well that hurt…" Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the shivering little fellow. "Hey kid, what are you doing out here?"

Miles yelped and hid in knees, wrapping his tails around him.

"Woah kid, I'm not going to hurt you…"

The fox poked his head out and stared at the stranger. He couldn't really make him out because of the dark hoodie he was wearing that covered his face, but Miles knew he didn't know him. He tucked his head back in his little hide-away.

"Kid, I'm not going to hurt you. What's your-?"

"I think he's over here!"

Miles heard retreating footsteps and when he looked up, the stranger was gone…but Phillip and his gang were there. He hid again, knowing what was coming.

Sonic's POV:

I'd seen a lot of thing's over the past two years that were confusing. Like how the public could now hail a so-called freak a hero in the matter of two years.

When I first started fighting Robotnik, it was in the middle of nowhere. But as the fight and area spread, slowly people started to know who I was. They cheered whenever I showed my face in public, after all, how many super speeding blue hedgehogs are there in the world? That's why I started wearing a hoodie in towns and cities. True, it wasn't a perfect disguise, but at least I wasn't mobbed every other second.

Another confusing thing was why a little fox was so scared of me. Sure I popped out of the bushes, but I'm pretty sure my voice was gentle. Of course when I heard voices, I thought it was some fans who saw me zip into the forest. So I had jumped behind a nearby tree to wait for them to leave.

I'm glad I did.

"Hey freak! Were you hiding from us?" A chipmunk in a beanie and leather jacket asked the little fox.

His two friends, a bear cub and weasel stood on either side of him, laughing.

The little fox shivered and shook his head, his eyes filled with terror.

"Yeah right. Get up mutant."

I felt my quill's stand on end.

The little fox stood up, his little knee's knocking together. "P-please, Ph-Ph-Phillip. D-don't h-hurt m-me…"

I tightened my hands into fists.

"Yeah…we _won't_ hurt you." He smacked his fist into his hand smirking. "Get him."

I winced in sympathy as the boys began to beat the fox. _"You just gave me a reason to do something…"_

I stepped out from behind the tree. "Hey! Leave him alone!"

The three boys froze and turned around. The little fox on the ground whimpered but didn't look up.

The chipmunk laughed, "And what are you going to do about it? You're all alone."

Slowly, I walked forward, my hands in the air. "You're right I'm alone…but that doesn't mean I can't do anything about it."

The three boys surrounded me, smiling evilly. Phillip (I guess) smirked. "No one care's about that kid. Why would you even put yourself in harm's way for him? Do you even know him?"

I shook my head, "That doesn't mean I don't care about him." Without waiting for another word, I swung around carrying my body weight into the punch I delivered to the bear's jaw. He stumbled back in pain moaning as I ducked down and swept my feet from under the weasel. Before he hit the ground I had punched the leader in the face twice and held him against a tree.

Phillip's eyes glinted with fear. "Y-you can't do that. My father's the mayor… He'll have you arrested."

I shook my head and took of my hood. "Do you really think he will?"

His eyes grew even more afraid as he realized who had him pinned to a tree. "N-no Mr. Sonic."

"Good, now get going. And if I find out you pick on anyone again, I will come after you. Got it?"

He nodded quickly. I dropped him to the ground.

Phillip and his friend's ran as fast as they could out of the forest.

Slowly, I let out a sigh. I knelt down next to the kid. "Are you okay, kid?"

The little fox poked his head out and stared at me with these bright blue eyes. "Are…you…really…Sonic?"

I picked him up and wiped mud away from his face. "Yeah, kind of crazy, right?"

He nodded slowly and stood up.

"Well little fellow, you should be heading home. Your Mother is probably worried sick."

The fox looked at his feet. He looked a little sad then looked back up his eye's shining.

"Did you really mean it?"

I frowned a bit confused, "Mean what?"

"That you cared about me?"

Immediately the images of Sonia and Manic flashed through my mind. "Uh…"

The little fellow's face fell. "It's okay Mr. Sonic. I understand…" He turned around and disappeared into the forest.

I walked in the opposite direction, wondering if I should have done something different…

 **Review!**


	5. A Parent's Haunting

**Okay so last chapter we had the 'cliché' part of this story. Bullies, rain, etc. Now what do you think's going to happen next? I will say this; this chapter has sensitive topics. If you're not comfortable with issues such as child abuse, suicide, or bullying, then you don't need to read this chapter. There's always someone who cares for you, even if you don't see them.**

Sonic's POV:

Call it what you will in this life; fate, destiny, or some greater power, but that night was the day my life turned around.

Only five minutes after I had met the kid, I wanted to run back and hug him. I shook my head nervously, _"I don't even know the kid. Heck, I didn't even get his name!"_

I sighed and sat down under a nearby tree. It had been a long day, avoiding fans and trying to not be too noticeable or memorable. I frowned slightly. On second thought, it had been a very boring day.

Ever since I defeated Robotnik it had been quiet. Too quiet. I knew that the Doctor was just biding his time, but I was getting tired of waiting for him to show his face.

Without meaning too I nodded off to sleep. Not sure how long I was out before one of the weirdest thing's happened in my life.

" _ **Wake up Sonic… You need to get up…"**_

" _Darling, that's not going to wake him up. And even if it did, he wouldn't know what's going on."_

" _ **Well what do you want me to do then?"**_

" _Maurice!"_

My eye's snapped open…or at least I thought they did. When I did open them the whole world looked…wispy. Everything was duller in color and when I looked at my body it appeared almost translucent. The tree's had these bright lines of light coming out of them, swimming through the air. Very slowly, I stood up and looked around…and then yelped.

I was staring at myself…well I was staring at my sleeping self still leaning against a tree. Very startled and confused, I backed away from…well me. "Am I dead?"

" _No darling. We just need to talk to you."_

As if my day couldn't get any stranger… Out of the bushes came-

"Mom? Dad?"

" _ **Hello son."**_ My Father smiled and spread his arms out. Mom stood next to him, with this large smile on her face.

I couldn't help myself. I ran forward and hugged them both. "What are you doing in my head?"

" _Well son, we need to talk to you…about your little friend in the forest."_

 **(For note; Julian's voice is bold and italic, while Aleena is just italic.)**

Mom sat down, never releasing my hand. Dad took a seat on the other side. Still confused, I sat down in the middle.

"What about the little fox?"

" _ **Well, for starter's; why didn't you help him? I thought I taught you better than that."**_

"What are you talking about? I chased off the bullies and sent him home."

" _Oh sweetie…that little boy doesn't have a home."_

I felt my blood go cold. "What? How? Why?"

Mother sighed and squeezed my hand. _"His Mother died in childbirth… He had an older sister, but she committed suicide three years ago. When she died, his Father cast him out of the house, calling him a mutant freak."_

" _ **You know how that is Maurice. He needs a friend."**_

I nodded slowly, "Sorry, but this is kind of hard to be taking in. My dead parents are telling me in a dream that I need to go find a fox. I heard the bullies telling him he was a mutant…but I didn't see anything crazy like my speed."

" _Didn't you notice his two tail's?"_

"Two…tails? Okay, I'm blind sighted…" I rubbed the back of my neck a little embarrassed. "So now what do I do? Adopt him? Help him find a family? I don't understand what you want?"

Dad sighed, _**"I thought you were brighter than this. Maurice, we want you to save him."**_

"Save him from what?"

" _ **Himself."**_

"Uh… What?"

Mom sighed with annoyance, _"Julian, you're moving too fast…as usual. Let me explain."_ She paused then continued. _"How do I put this delicately…? He knows more than he should at the age of six. His Mom died, his sister killed herself, and his Father kicked him out when he was three and-."_

"Hold it! He Was Three!?"

" _ **Maurice, focus."**_

"Right. Sorry…"

" _Anyway, he's been on the streets for three years, and before you ask, yes. He's only six. "_

I closed my mouth.

" _He's been through a lot…now picture yourself in his shoes. He was being bullied and the great Sonic the Hedgehog showed up and saved him. And he said that he cared about him… Then he says he didn't really."_

"I never said that!"

My Mother just patted my hand, _"It's one of those, listening to the silence situations. You might as well have said that. It's what he thought."_

" _ **Son, you have to understand. That little fox has never had anyone even attempt to stop those bullies; people who helped him disappeared or stopped at some point. But now he thinks that if you're leaving him, then what's the point?"**_ Dad sighed sadly.

"I'm still confused…" I shook my head.

" _He wants his life to stop…"_

I blinked once.

" _He…um…is going to make a life changing decision?"_

I shook my head again.

A bit annoyed, my Father threw up his arms. _**"He's going to a bridge!"**_

"Yeah, that's not helping Dad…"

" _ **Chaos, how hard is this to get through your head. He's going to jump."**_

I felt my skin go clammy. "Wait…are you telling me he's going to-?"

" _As I said before, he understands thing's he shouldn't understand… In that town, the strong survive, while the weak don't. He's been strong for so long, but now…"_ My Mother wiped a small tear away from her face.

I remained quiet for one moment, letting my thoughts envelope me. A six year old kid…was going to jump off a bridge…because of what I said. I closed my eyes, fighting off the wave of emotions that were circling inside of me.

" _Maurice, I know it's a lot to take in, but I also know you can help him… You're the only one who can at this moment."_ Mom leaned over and kissed me on the cheek gently.

Dad helped me to my feet and gave me a hug. _**"You helped the fox at 7:42. If you want to help him, then you have to reach him by 8:45. Got it?"**_

I nodded. "Got it. Can I ask one question really quick? Am I dreaming? Or is this real?"

My parent's stepped away from me, with large smiles on their faces. _"Of course your dreaming. But that doesn't mean it's not real."_

" _ **Your Mother and are so proud of you."**_

" _We love you Maurice."_

" _ **Good luck son!"**_

The two of them began to fade.

I began to wave goodbye then realized something, "Wait! Where are Sonia and Manic!?"

There was a large flash of light and then I woke up for real. I squinted around the clearing, but everything looked almost the same as it did when I had first fallen asleep.

" _What time is it?"_

As if the clock was answering my question, it began to toll. I slowly counted the dongs until…

"Eight! Oh my Chaos…" I took off running towards the town.

I pulled out a stop watch and hit start, knowing it wouldn't be exact, but it could help. I had about 45 minutes until 8:45. Forty five minutes before the kid…

I shook my head, not wanting to think about. I reached the town with 44:54 on the stop watch. The first person I ran into was a human.

"Excuse me, could you help me?"

"Scram kid!" The man shoved me aside and continued walking.

I stood up and brushed myself off. "Or not…"

Pretty much the following ten reactions were similar. The people either ignored me or pushed by me. I glanced at the watch, nervously. 34:23! Chaos, I was running out of time.

Deciding the small area I was in, was probably not the best part, I ran deeper into the town.

Unfortunately I didn't have much luck in the next area or the next area. I glanced at the stopwatch. 25:16! I had less than half an hour to find the kid.

Unfortunately I didn't have the kid's name, which made the situation only harder. All I knew was I was looking for a yellow/orange fox about six year's old… I guess I didn't really think about mentioning the two tails, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Anyone who was willing to talk had no idea who I was talking about. Frustrated I stopped on a park bench and tried to clear my thoughts. If I was the kid…where would I go?

Then it hit me like a brick wall (and I know what that fells like). He's going to jump…well he needs a bridge to do that. I bolted away and found a town map.

"Chaos! Why is this so hard?!" I stared at the map in frustration. I'd forgotten that this town was built on a small island and had many bridges. 9 to be exact… How high they were and if there was water underneath wasn't listed on the map. Frustrated I kicked the board.

"If you're going to make a racket, could you wait until I'm out of here, I'm trying to read!" An elderly cat sat on a nearby bench.

I winced at her words. "Sorry, I'm just frustrated. I can't find someone that needs my help…"

"What kind of help?" The lady looked up from her book.

I shuffled my feet slightly, "Well, I'm thinking he may try to jump off a bridge, but I don't know which bridge."

The little lady smiled sadly. "That'd be Taylor Bridge… It's pretty popular with jumpers."

"How far is it?"

"Across town… You'd better get going."

I quickly thanked the woman and took off running. Half way to the bridge I checked my watch again. 12:09 remained. I picked up the pace.

When I arrived at the bridge, I moaned again. This was their longest bridge in the town, connecting the small island to the main land. It was a little less than a mile long. Groaning, I began to search through the crowd. Seriously? Why are there so many people on this bridge at night? It felt like hours passed and no one had seen the kid. I was so afraid to check the time, but reluctantly, I did. 10:47.

Only a few minutes left… I raced down the walk way. I asked a few people, and no one really helped. A hot dog vendor said he saw the kid about five minutes ago, but he couldn't recall which way he was going. Quickly, I thanked him and ran off. Of course with my luck, I ran straight into another fox.

"Watch it!"

"Sorry!" I held out a hand to help the man up, but he smacked it away.

"I can get up myself!" He stood up with annoyance clear on his face. "Can't you watch where you're going?"

I glanced at the watch. 5:31

"I'm sorry; I'm looking for a yellow fox. About this high, and six years old."

The man threw back his head and laughed creepily, "Are you talking about Miles? The little mutant freak?"

I clenched my fists in anger. "He's not a freak…"

"Sure he is, those little tails of his are nothing but trouble." The man smirked. "And I should know. What's that little devil gotten into this time? Are you one of those kids that use him as a punching bag?"

I almost growled, "No…"

"Well you should! He's nothing put a mistake."

At this point I was barely holding my anger in check. "Have you seen him?"

"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. What's it to you?"

"Just tell me where he went. I need to talk to him…"

The fox leaned against the wooden rails. "Why do you need to see him?"

"None of your business." This guy was really starting to tick me off.

"Well I like to know what people are planning to do my offspring. It's amusing to hear the stories that kid's gotten beaten in. Makes me miss the old days!" He laughed menacingly.

My blood went cold as the reality of his words sunk in. "You're…his…Dad?" I could barely say the words, the disgust in my voice obvious.

He smirked. "Maybe… If you're going to beat him I might come and watch. It's been a while since I've gotten to see someone take a swing at him. His screams are rather amusing."

I whirled around and pointed at him. "You just threw him on the streets!? What is wrong with you!? Are you an idiot?! Or just some kind of monster!?"

He scowled at me. "How dare you call me that!"

"How dare I-? How dare you throw a three year old on the street to fend for himself! How dare you encourage people to beat him and pick on him! And how dare you not tell me where he is!" I yelled at the so-called-Father with a fury that had only been seen by Robotnik. "I've seen parent's sacrifice their lives for their kids! And you just—just threw him out without a second glance! What is wrong with you, idiot!?"

The fox grabbed me by the hoodie and picked me off the ground. "How dare you talk to me that way kid. Now scram!" He threw me across the dock.

I rolled then landed on my feet. Whirling around, I sprinted over to the man and punched him in the stomach. He collapsed on the ground, wheezing for air. I grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up to my eye level.

"Where…is…he?" I growled, my eyes glowing with hate.

The man had a flash of fear in his eyes then it cleared. "What if I don't tell you?"

"I'll throw you off this bridge." I said it in such a casual manner that I surprised myself.

The fox's eyes widened. "You wouldn't…"

I leaned forward into his face and removed my hood ever so slightly just so he could see the blue quills. "I would…"

I almost felt bad for the man. His entire attitude had faded and he looked at the bridge meekly. "I don't know. He came by a few minutes ago, but I don't know which way he went."

With a disgusted look, I threw the man to the floor. I glanced at the stop watch. 0:10.

My heart almost stopped as those precious second's ticked down to zero. I couldn't think; my brain had become fuzzy. In a trance, I walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. I buried my face in my hands and cried.

Mile's POV:

I'd seen things in my life…thing's I wished I'd never seen.

One thing that brought me joy was knowledge, but that unusually hard to get a hold of. When I was four a librarian showed me kindness and allowed me in the library, as long as no one saw me. I hid in the back, where books were checked in. I taught myself to read and write. Pretty soon I had read almost every book there.

Then things changed. The librarian moved away and was replaced…and her replacement didn't see me in the same way. Thus my library day's ended.

I had learned a lot during those short months and it had kept me going for a little while. Eventually the other boys found out about my 'freakish' smarts and the teasing and beating increased.

Then when The Sonic, as in the hero over the world, saved me from bullying…well I thought things were going to get a little better.

" _Did you really mean it?"_

" _Mean what?"_

" _That you cared about me?"_

" _Uh…"_

Talk about disappointing… And if the most known hero in the whole world didn't care about me, then who would?

I left the forest, moping with my tails dragging on the floor.

" _Well maybe he does care; he just didn't know how to say it…"_

"Hey, Miles per hour!"

I turned around to find Suzy Groundhog walking up to me. On the inside, I screamed. The outside of me just submitted to what was going to come.

A few minutes later Suzy walked away laughing while I laid on the ground moaning in pain. Gently, I touched the newest cut on my face and looked around. No Sonic.

With a sigh, I pulled a teared and worn piece of paper from my fanny pack.

 _Dear Miles,_

 _I'm sorry but I can't take the pain anymore. It wasn't you, it was Father. He'll treat you better when I'm gone, I'm sure of it. I love you so much my little Miles._

 _Lucy_

I held it tightly in my little fists. Lucy was the only one who ever truly loved me and she jumped off a bridge because of our father and her lame boyfriend. I sniffled a little.

" _I can't take the pain anymore…"_

"Well neither can I…" I mumbled. I thought long and hard for a moment of who I could write a note too…and came up with no one. _"Well no one will miss me…"_

I cut through the alley's to make the trip faster, since I knew this town like the back of my hand. When I reached Taylor Bridge a nearby clock told me it was 8:30. Sighing, I walked along the boardwalk, keeping my head down. Not sure how long I walked, but it was long enough for me to reflect on my pointless life. Nothing really struck me as important so it didn't take long.

I heard someone laugh and looked over. I barely recognized my Father…and I never really wanted to. He smiled his crazy smile that haunted my dreams at me. I put my head down and hid behind a trash can. He laughed again then walked away.

Rather quickly, I ran down the walkway a little bit more then paused near a bench. I hopped up on it and pulled out a roll of string. Rather slowly, I tied my two tails together. I glanced behind me at the large sweeping sea below. It actually looked rather comforting and warm…well at least at the horizon. Beneath the bridge was terrifying water slamming into the large wooden stakes. I shivered. The very sight of it almost made me change my mind.

No one noticed me stand up on the benches seat and climb up onto the back. From there I climbed up on the thick railing. Why did the engineer's make these bars so thick? I made sitting on them a lot easier. Still no one noticed me… I sighed and looked around at the horizon.

The view was really spectacular. True, it was raining, but it was only a light rain. Not that heavy down pour like usual. The rain almost sparkled in the dim lighting from the bridge.

I smiled. At least nature was beautiful… I was so busy looking at the scenery; I almost missed the voices of an argument about 20 feet back down the bridge. I sighed, _"Why do people always get into fights?"_

"-dare you encourage people to beat him and pick on him! And how dare you not tell me where he is! I've seen parent's sacrifice their lives for their kids! And you just—just threw him out without a second glance! What is wrong with you, idiot!?"

"How dare you talk to me that way kid! Now scram!"

With a start I realized it was my Father's voice yelling back.

I turned around in time to see my Dad throw a guy in a dark red hoodie. The guy rolled and stood up. To my shock (and the shock of anyone watching) he seemed to move at the blink of the eye. He rushed at my Dad and punched him then grabbed him fiercely.

"Where…is…he?"

My Dad's face trembled for a moment then grew nasty again. "What if I don't tell you?"

"I'll throw you off this bridge."

I almost fell off the bridge in shock. Quietly, I got down from the railing and sat on the bench.

My Father seemed to share my shock. "You wouldn't…"

Ever so slightly, I saw the boy slid his hood back. I caught a quick glimpse of blue.

With a small whisper that no one could hear, I took a deep breath, "Sonic?"

"I would…" The hedgehog growled.

"I don't know. He came by a few minutes ago, but I don't know which way he went." My Father relented softly.

My brain scrambled to decipher what had just happened then it hit me. _"He's looking for me…"_

Sonic dropped my Dad and looked at something in his hand. He stared at it then a look of despair went over his face. He sat down on the bench across the bridge from me and buried his face in his hands.

Quietly, I walked over and sat down next to him. I didn't say anything or let him know I was there.

He started mumbling to himself, "If I'd been faster…then this wouldn't have happened… Poor kid… I do care about you… I'm so sorry Miles…" I heard small sobs escape the hedgehog and felt my little heart break.

I hesitated for a moment, then reached out and touched his shoulder.

He didn't even look up.

I patted him again.

"Leave me alone, please."

Again, I patted him.

"What part of 'leave me alone' do you not understand?"

I took a shaky breath, "I can come back later, if you'd like…"

The hedgehog's head flew upward and stared at me. Nervously, I smiled at him.

Sonic just stared at me, his eyes wide. "Are…are you real?"

"I think so…" I looked at myself then back at him.

Sonic blinked twice then smiled. "Where have you been kid? I've been looking all over town for you!"

"You have?" I tilted my head, confused.

"Yeah!" He grabbed my shoulders and shook them gently. "I've been worried sick!"

"Why?"

He hesitated slightly then smiled again. "Well, after you left the woods I just had this feeling that you needed me. Can't tell you why, but something just felt off. I started looking for you all over and wandered over here. Found your Father instead of you. By the way, he's a jerk."

I nodded slightly. "I saw that last part…you were going to throw him off the bridge."

"Would you have minded?"

"…Not really, no." I smiled at the hero. "So what did you want to see me about, Mr. Sonic?"

"First of all, call me Sonic. Second of all…" he paused then smiled. "How'd you like to stay with me for a little while?"

He…wanted…what? I scrunched my face in confusion.

The great Sonic wanted me…to stick around him? " _For a little while…_ " I added mentally.

I ran through my options.

Option one: Say no, wait 'til he leaves and then continue with the original plan…not my favorite option.

Option two: Say no, but continue in life knowing that there was a day when I was cared for. No the best thing, but better than the first.

Option three: Say yes and stay with the hedgehog as long as he wanted me around… This provided some protection and something new. Even if he dropped me like a bag of rocks the next day, at least I had a change in routine…

"I…I guess that'd be fine." I smiled at him again. "If you don't mind…"

Sonic laughed and shook his head, "Don't mind at all Miles. Let's get going." He stood up and motioned for me to follow him.

With the biggest smile I'd ever had, I hopped of the bench and followed him.

Sonic walked with me for a few minutes, not saying anything. Then he sighed, "What were you doing here at the bridge?"

I looked at my feet. "Nothing…"

"Miles…" He put his hand on my shoulder. "Never do it again."

Okay, how did he know what I was planning?

"Another thing…why are your tails tied together?"

My head snapped up at the mention of my twin appendages. A little clumsy, I reached back and pulled of the twine that held them together and stuffed it into my side bag. "Uh…can I tell you later?"

"Sure Miles. Whenever you feel comfortable."

"Hey Freak! What did I tell you I'd do to you if you came around here again?!"

I couldn't help it. I froze. My hands started shaking and my knees were knocking together. No matter how often it happened, bullies still scared the heck out of me.

 **Wow that was long... Review!**


	6. Sonic's Revenge on Bullies

**Hey everyone! I've really enjoyed this story, although I wish I could have done something a little less…drastic with Miles. Jumping of a bridge…and is 6… maybe a bit too extreme so sorry to everyone for that. I'm not bring that idea back in future chapters so don't worry about it.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Michael Wellington Prower: I'm still a bit annoyed by that first name… Wow… I think Manic's name is…well Manic. I happen to like the names so let's not get too confusing.**

 **Quantum27: I'm glad you liked the parent confrontation. I wanted Sonic to stop Miles without actually 'stopping' him. It was all Miles. And yeah, the whole parent's haunting was a little amusing…**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Thank you for reviewing. The more reviews, the fast I type. As for the evil laugh… I have no idea what you're talking about…**

 **This chapter is about… Well, let's just see.**

Sonic's POV:

"Hey Freak! What did I tell you I'd do to you if you came around here again?!"

I flinched at the word. Even though no one had called me that for two years, it still made me flinch. Unfortunately the one time I wanted it to be aimed at me, it wasn't.

To my right, Miles froze up, his eyes staring into the distance.

"Miles per Hour! I'm talking to you! Turn around you little wimp."

Okay, there were three things I couldn't stand in life. The first one was Robotnik, hands down. Second one was stands running out of chilly dogs…you can see why. The last one was bullies.

Why bullies? Why not? I mean, they're full of themselves, think they can go where ever they want, and treat everyone like garbage. Robotnik was what happened when a bully took things too far.

My first encounter with the scum was when I was four. Manic had decided to play his little tricks again and had stolen an 8 year old boy's toy without him noticing. When Manic handed it back, smiling like he'd won the lottery, the boy began to beat him.

That day was when I discovered my spin dash.

It was also two days before the boy's family moved away.

So what to my wondering eyes was yet another gang of boys a little older than me that wanted to beat the little fox to a pulp…why him?

Little Miles looked at me, with terror in his eyes. "S-Sonic, you sh-should stay o-out of this, p-please. They k-know how to f-fight, unlike the others…"

I smiled reassuringly, "Come on Miles, I can take them."

"N-no, please s-stay out of th-this." The little boy's eyes reflected the terror he felt, but he was more concerned about these kids hurting me. "I-I'm used to i-it. J-just stay in s-sight. I f-feel better w-with you a-around."

I frowned, but nodded. "If that's what you want…"

The little boy nodded.

So much to my annoyance I walked over to a bench away from the fox and watched the scene before me. Because despite what I wanted, I knew Miles had to fight some of his fights alone, or else he would never learn.

At this point we had left the bridge and were on a street, otherwise I would have just had Miles and I vanish into the crowd. This street was desolate, as luck would have it.

Leader of the group was a 16 year old dog. He had a black hoodie and dark jeans on over his white fur. His green eyes glinted dangerously.

To his right were a light brown rabbit, and a red fox. Both girls were wearing skinny jeans and a t-shirt.

On the other side were a mongoose and some sort of rodent. The two boys had a look similar to their leaders, but wore black beanies on their heads.

I pulled my hood on a little more, making sure my quills were hidden.

Dogface smiled evilly has Miles, shaking as if there was an earthquake at his feet, faced him.

"So little Mutant, what's the capital of Rome?"

Poor little Miles just shook. He remained quiet for a moment then mumbled something.

"What was that? Speak up!"

"Rome doesn't have a capital…it's the capital of Italy." The little boy whispered.

The dog grabbed him by the tails and yanked him up off the ground.

Miles yelped in pain, and struggled to get down.

"Milly…show this kid what happens when you tell Tanner he's stupid." The dog growled.

Smirking, the red fox stepped forward, "Sure thing, sugar cube." She had a slight southern drawl to her speech. She began to punch the little boy as if he was a rag doll.

At every punch, Miles winced, but didn't scream.

When each blow hit, I felt anger start to boil.

After a few dozen hit's, Milly stepped away brushing her hands together.

Tanner (apparently) dropped the fox to the ground.

" _Okay, they're done now… They'll move on."_

Unfortunately that wasn't the case. After Milly punched him, the rabbit stepped forward and kicked him in the stomach.

Mileys grunted, but managed not to yelp. The little guy curled up in a ball and put his hands over his head. "Please Tanner! No more! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" The dog snapped.

Next, Mr. Mongoose picked up the boy by the hair on his head and brought him to eye level. He narrowed his eyes and smiled wickedly. "Say cheese…" He punched Miles square in the face.

A little squeal left the fox as blood came out of his nose.

Miles dropped back to the ground, moaning in pain.

I felt my anger starting to boil over then pushed it down. _"They have to be done."_

If you guessed that they weren't, then you get a cookie…

Up stepped the rat, (still couldn't tell what he was, but I decided that rat was the best thing to call him) with yet another creepy smile. He turned the fox over on his stomach and stopped on his tails.

Miles couldn't hold it anymore and screamed in pain.

Tanner marched up and picked him up by the throat. "Say I'm stupid again, I dare you…" He squeezed Miles around the neck.

The fox grasped at the hands, trying to breathe again.

"Leave him alone!" I couldn't take it anymore and charged at the dog.

Tanner was so surprised that he didn't have time to dodge. I pounced on him and Miles dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

Tanner and I rolled across the ground then tumbled to a stop. Furiously, Tanner stood up and glared at me on the ground.

"Why you little…" He didn't continue the threat as I looked up at him, my eyes glaring daggers at him.

My hood had fallen off completely and there was no way for anyone to mistake those blue quills.

The dog's look of anger was replaced by nervousness. "Sonic…Sonic the Hedgehog, I didn't know you were in town…"

Behind him, the gang was not looking so confident anymore.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Leave…him…alone."

With the attention off him, Miles tried to lift himself up, but his strength failed him and he passed out.

Tanner laughed nervously, "Oh we do that all the time. It's just a game, Mr. Hedgehog, we mean no harm by it."

My eyes flashed dangerously, "YOU MEAN NO HARM BY IT?!"

Everyone stepped back three paces as I gestured towards the motionless fox.

"Take one look at him and tell me if he's been HARMED."

Miles was cut and bruised all over, not to mention the bloody nose and that he was still trying to catch his breath. Add to the fact that he was unconscious, and I called that 'harmed.'

"Well, he looks worse than he is…" Tanner rubbed the back of his neck. "Besides, he's just a kid. What do you expect if he plays with us?"

"You call that playing…" My voice went dangerously low.

"…Yes…?"

I stood up and smiled. The smile never reached my eyes. "Then how about I 'play' with you?"

The five gang member's stared at me with horror as the meaning of my words sunk in.

Tanner shook his head, "No thank you! We're done playing today…" He took ten steps back, trying to get as far away as possible.

I shook my head, "Sorry, but you're going to have to have one more game today. You're first…"

Every one of them turned around and ran. I rolled my eyes and ran after them.

The first one I caught was Milly. Now usually I wouldn't hit a girl, but I made an exception for this one. I stopped in front of her and slammed my fist into her stomach. She dropped to the ground and started crying. I leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Next time you want to do that to someone, remember how it feels…"

I ran after the rabbit next. She wasn't even worth stopping for so I just knocked her legs out from under her and continued running.

Mr. Mongoose got a kick in the rear from me and went sprawling across the street while the rat was judo flipped and slammed into the ground.

Finally, I grabbed Tanner by the arm and flipped him (while running) onto the ground. I pinned him down and punched him in the face repeatedly until I thought Miles pain had been repaid. In a small voice I growled at the dog, "Next time you want to pick on someone, don't. Got it?"

Tanner nodded, tears streaming down his bruised and cut face.

I stood up and walked over to Miles. The little guy was till out cold. As gently as I could, I picked him up and held him in my arms.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn…?" I mumbled to myself. Without another word, I took off running, leaving the bullies in the dust and the past.

Five minutes later, I came to the cave I'd been staying in the past three days, ten miles outside of town. The only reason I didn't get there sooner was because I didn't want to wake Miles, so I had to travel pretty slowly (in my opinion…to other's opinion's, not so much).

I walked into the cave and laid the little guy down on an old blanket. I rushed to a nearby stream and filled up a bucket with water. Then I rushed back to the cave and began to clean up the little fox the best I could. When I found some old bandage wrapping I'd forgotten I had, I wrapped up the worst injuries to help prevent infection.

With a sigh, I laid back, exhausted from the day. My mind started to turn over everything that had happened today.

" _Okay I have a six year old fox that has two tails staying with me… Like my life couldn't get any stranger. So what do I do with him? Well I could keep him around until he's back to health, but then he'd be back to the mercy of the bullies… I'm not keeping him forever though! I mean, a twelve year old orphan should not take care of a six year old orphan. Besides,"_ I closed my eyes and images of Manic and Sonia flashed in my mind, _"I already caused the death of my siblings; I don't need to cause another death. Robotnik would target little Miles and I can't have another innocent die because of me…"_

I paused in my thinking, trying to find a compromise. _"I'll keep him around until Robotnik shows up again. Until then, I'll teach him how to defend himself…or at least how to hide from bullies and survive. I'll drop by every once in a while to check on him."_ I nodded to myself.

No plan was perfect, but this was the best I could do for now.

I smiled and drifted off to sleep…hoping tomorrow would be a little less exhausting.

 **Hope you all enjoyed seeing Sonic fight. I personally think that those five deserved it. Review please!**

 **Nicole Maria Ultman (my OC to those who are unfamiliar with her): Yes review… Era has attention issues.**

 **Era: I do not!**

 **Nicole: Yes you do! You're always asking for review's and check your email every day for more.**

 **Era: …I like feedback.**

 **Nicole: Yeah, a little too much.**


	7. Blueberry Breakfast

**Hi! Review comments!**

 **Fanboythehedgehog: I will have to check it out. Thanks!**

 **Rors: *Holds up box of cookies* What kind?**

 **Quantum27: Just because he's a hero, doesn't mean he won't hurt people who act like jerks, right?**

 **This chapter is about…well let's just watch, shall we?**

Sonic's POV:

The first thing I heard was birds chirping. I moaned and rolled over in my sleep, trying to shut out the noise, to no avail. I sighed and sat up.

The sun was shining brightly outside, reflecting off the walls in the hidden alcove making it easier to see. I briefly wondered how long I had been sleeping. Nearby, a tattered blanket lay on the ground. "What is that doing on the ground?"

Stretching, I stood up and yawned. Through sleepy eyes I looked around the empty cave. Then it hit me.

"Miles!" My brain snapped awake as I looked around, trying to find the little kit.

 **((Era: Okay, I've heard him called that before, but what exactly is a kit?"**

 **Jr: It's a small nocturnal fox with a yellowish-gray back and large, close-set ears, found in the deserts and plains of the southwestern US. Miles Prower is a Kit Fox.**

 **Nicole: …Oh… That makes much more sense. Wait, I thought you were only a Math genius.**

 **Jr: …Uh… *runs away***

 **Era: *rolls her eyes.* that joke would only make sense to everyone who is following my other stories. Sorry, but I couldn't resist a crack at Junior. Back to the story…))**

I looked in the corner's trying to see if he was hiding, then looked at the ceiling…although how he would be up there was beyond my imagination. Miles was nowhere in sight.

Rushing out of the cave, I zipped around the forest calling for the little fox. Five minutes later, I was back where I started. I sat down, leaning against the cave entrance, trying to call my nerves. _"Well it's not like Robotnik could have found out about him already…right? Maybe he just left… Or perhaps some wild animal snagged him this morning. If that happened, then how'd I sleep through that? Then again, I sleep pretty heavy…but I think I would have heard him scream or something. Okay then back to the 'he left' idea… Well he could have left, the kid can do stuff on his own. Oh chaos, what if he went back. I might have scared him off or something! Oh man, I'm an idiot! What did I do?!"_

While I was panicking, I didn't notice the little figure coming out of the woods until he was right in front of me. "Miles!" I jumped up and gave him a quick hug, then punched him in the shoulder. "Don't do that!"

The fox had a look of confusion, shock, and pain on his face. "Do what?"

"Run off without telling me! Where'd you go?" I sat back down.

Miles joined me on the ground and opened the small handkerchief on the ground. Inside were a several dozen blueberries. "I was getting breakfast…is that okay?"

I stared in shock at the small fortune. "Where…did you get these?"

"In the forest. Where else?"

"Yeah, but how did you find them?"

"Well I knew that this area had the right climate and soil for blueberry bushes and it was blueberry season so I just looked around and found a hidden patch about 200 feet that way." He pointed to the left of the clearing.

My eyes looked up at the fox with a new light. "How did you know all of that?"

Shyly, he shuffled his feet and looked at the floor, "I read a lot in the library a few years ago." His voice had gone quiet again, as if he thought he was saying something wrong.

I decided to change the subject. "Well do you want some berries, or are they all for me?" I smiled at him.

The two of us sat down for a delicious meal of blueberries for breakfast. No one spoke the whole meal, letting our personal thoughts encircle us.

"I'm getting this kid to take an IQ test as soon as possible…this is the second time I'd seen the kid show a streak of smarts. (First time with the whole, what's the capital of Rome?, incident.)

After breakfast, I decided to hold off on the 'teaching him how to fight' idea, due to the fact that he was still recovering from his injuries. "Miles… How would you like to move at 'Sonic speed'?

The kit was jumping up and down with excitement as I tried to pick him up, piggy-back style.

"Dude, stop moving! I can't hold you and run if you're squirming all over the place!"

Miles immediately went still. "Sorry…" he mumbled.

I looked back at him and smirked. "Hold on kid!" Before the fox had his grip I took off. With a yelp, the kid threw his arms around my neck frantically.

We zipped through the town, barely being noticed by anyone even though Miles was yelling in terror for the first half. He calmed down eventually and let out an excited whoop.

I smiled and picked up speed.

Not sure how long we ran, but it was long enough to run through the town and into the next city. When I finally stopped in front of a chili dog stand, Mile's hair was completely swept back and my throat was getting parched.

"Well…should we break for lunch?"

The little fox nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yes!"

Mile's POV:

Running at super speeds had been terrifying at first, but I knew Sonic wouldn't let me go so I roughed it. I actually enjoyed myself.

For lunch, we had something Sonic called a 'chili dog.'

When he found out I had never had one he had stared in shock and exclaimed, "Well we're going to have to do something about that!"

Two minutes later, the blue hedgehog had four chili dogs in his arms, two for me; two for him.

Never had anything tasted so good in my whole life.

For the rest of the day, Sonic walked me around the town. We went to the park and skipped stones across the lake. Then there was the mall…no we didn't go shopping for clothes. But Sonic did surprise me with something new.

With a side bag, you have to keep switching shoulders it sat on to prevent one of my arms getting tired. With a backpack, the weight distributed evenly and was much less exhausting.

Sonic must have noticed how annoyed I got with my old bag, so he got me a brown leather backpack.

"Just a little present to remember me by," He winked with a smile.

I had already emptied all of my stuff into the new pack and threw away the old one. I nodded excitedly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Our last stop was an amusement park. Sonic had to drag me on half the rides, as they all looked terrifying, but it actually turned out to be really fun. By the time we were exiting, the sun was going down.

Sonic carried me piggy-back back to the cave, laughing and joking the whole way.

When we got home, he gently checked my bandages and reapplied two of them. "You'll be fully recovered in a few more days."

Never in my memory had I gone a whole day without anyone calling me a freak or mutant. Apparently when you're with Sonic the Hedgehog (he didn't wear his hodie that day), everyone treats you well. Go figure.

When the sun was completely down, Sonic and I laid on the grass staring up at the stars.

"Today was the best day in my life…" I sighed out loud.

Sonic turned on his side to face me, "I enjoyed it too, Miles."

Without meaning too, I winced at the name. I looked back up at the stars, trying to block out the teasing of Miles per hour…

"What's wrong Miles? You don't look good."

"It's… It's nothing." I turned my back on the hedgehog.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Now Miles, I can't help you if you shove everything down."

Softly, I sighed and turned back to him, "Do I have too?"

"Did you just wine?" He raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Then again, you are six, weather you act it or not. And yes, you have to tell me."

I mumbled something under my breath.

"What was that?"

"I…"

"One more time please."

I answered in a barely audible whisper, "It's just…Miles."

Sonic cocked his head, "Yes…?"

"My last name is Prower…"

"Yeah, your losing me."

"Miles Prower… Miles per hour…"

"Oh, I was wondering about that. Tanner called you…oh now I get it. You don't like the name."

I looked back up at the stars. "I like my name, but it just reminds me of the teasing right now."

Sonic was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he sat up. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked softly.

"I think so…" I looked over at him, still on the ground.

"You have to swear not to tell anyone. Can you do that?"

Sensing that this was probably the only time he'd ever ask, I sat up and nodded. "I promise not to tell anyone."

Sonic looked me in the eyes, "Swear it."

"Okay, I swear I won't tell anyone. What is it!?" The excitement was killing me.

The hedgehog looked all around then leaned over to me. Cupping his hand over my ear, he whispered, "My name isn't really Sonic."

I fell over in shock. In retrospect, it made sense. I mean, who would name their kid Sonic? But never once had it crossed my mind that Sonic's name wasn't really Sonic.

I sat up quickly and asked excitedly, "What is it?"

"Shh!" Sonic looked around as if someone was hiding in the bushes. "Why don't you just yell it at the top of the world!?"

I realized how much Sonic must have trusted me to tell me that simple little thing. Inside, I promised myself I'd never tell another person.

The hedgehog looked back at me. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!"

"Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." I paused and added in after thought, "And never eat another chili dog again."

Reassured, Sonic leaned over and whispered in my ear again. "Maurice."

I looked at him for a moment my face completely blank. Then I couldn't take it anymore and fell over laughing.

"It's not funny Miles!"

"Yes it is! I never would have thought that!" I rolled over in the grass, trying to contain myself, and doing a terrible job.

Sonic chuckled slightly, "I guess it is kind of funny…"

We calmed down and lay back down to continue star gazing. I pointed out every constellation I could spot, and that was quite a few.

Finally Sonic spoke up, "So if you don't like Miles, then what are going to call you?"

"What?" I looked over at him again, my mind confused. "We're changing my name?"

"Just until you can hear Miles without having bad memories. I could call you Brain, since you're so smart."

I crinkled my nose. "Brain?" I asked with disgust.

"Well, you want your name to be memorable. Nothing simple like, John or Steven, but memorable, like Sonic." There was another pause, "I've never met one person who couldn't memorize my name after telling him once."

I nodded slowly. "I guess…"

"It also has to unique. Not normal or anything anyone else would be named. We could call you Power!"

I rolled my eyes, "Not happening."

"Yeah, too cliché. It should connect to you. I mean you wouldn't name a dog Fish. It makes no sense…"

The two of us pondered the situation for another several minutes, but nothing was perfect.

Sonic kept trying to come up with things that related to my brain, but I didn't like any of them.

I think it was about nine pm when I finally started yawning.

Sonic smiled and picked me up. "Off to bed with you, little guy. We'll figure out the name tomorrow."

By the time Sonic had carried me into the cave and tucked the blanket around me, I was already sleeping soundly.

 **Well since school is starting back up, my updates are going to get more random. Thanks to everyone who is still reading and I hope y'all stay with me. Next chapter: 'Treasured Tails.' Next time.**


	8. Treasured Tails

**Okay, I really don't know why we have to do this because of the whole title, Fanfiction. But I don't own any of these characters. They belong to SEGA.**

Mile's POV:

That night I had a dream…

In the dream, I was being chased by a giant chili dog named Maurice who kept calling me lame nicknames…

Oh, and Sonic was sitting on the sidelines laughing his head off with a bunch of my bullies.

I take back my statement. That night I had a nightmare.

So it was no surprise that when I woke up, I felt exhausted and never wanted to eat another Chili dog again.

Moaning, I sat up and squinted at the cave around me. It was empty except for a small note next to me. I picked it up and read,

* * *

 _Buddy,_

 _Went to get us some breakfast. Don't wander too far. I'll be back by nine am._

 _Sonic_

 _P.S. - Does Buddy work as a new name?_

"No." I replied aloud to a faraway hedgehog.

Gently, I folded up the note and tucked it away in my backpack along with all of the little notes my sister used to leave me around the house, even though I couldn't read at the time. She always used to read them too me when I found them, giggling like a maniac. I had saved every one of them and soon had a small scrapbook of them.

As I tucked the folder of notes away, I pulled out an old pocket watch that I'd dug up in a dumpster a year ago. True, it was a little rusty, but I cherished it like a family heirloom… whatever that was.

The clock read 8:45.

 _Fifteen minutes…I wonder…_

I pulled out some scraps of metal and spare parts from my new backpack and set to work. By the time Sonic got back with a paper bag full of pancakes, I had almost completed my model of a GUN helicopter.

"Woah…where'd you get that?" Sonic set down the pancakes and fingered the model.

Immediately, warning bells shot off in my head, telling me to hide. "I- Um… Well… I made it."

Sonic stared at me.

I felt the blood go to my checks and quickly went back to the model, trying to ignore him.

The hedgehog's footsteps rang out as he walked away. A few minutes later, he zipped over with a paper plate full of pancakes covered in syrup. He set them down, then got his own meal and joined me on the floor.

Sonic stared at me as I gently twisted the blades around and around, eating my pancakes at the same time. Then I heard him take a deep breath,

Here it comes. The, 'you're a freak, get out of my house' speech. I stopped spinning the blades.

"Can it fly?"

My head snapped up and stared at him. "What?"

"Can it fly? It looks pretty light and sturdy so I was just asking if you can make if fly." He motioned towards the helicopter.

"I don't think so…the blades don't spin fast enough and it's made out of metal." My brain was so confused.

Sonic put his plate down and went to grab the model, then paused. "May I?" He tilted his head.

I nodded. "Just be careful. That took me a while to build."

He picked up the helicopter and began to spin the rotors. He spun them and spun them making them go faster and faster until-

"Sweet!"

The helicopter flew up about four feet. I stared in wonder…until it came crashing down crunching on impact.

Rather sheepishly, Sonic picked up the, now broken, model. "Ops…"

Without a word I snatched it from his hands and threw it in my pack then marched out of the cave.

"Are you mad at me?!" Sonic called behind me.

I didn't answer but continued to march.

Falling behind me, Sonic's footsteps thumped against the green, lush, grass. "Miles! I mean- little buddy! Wait up!"

Okay, maybe I was a little mad…

"Ouch! Why'd you hit me?"

Okay, I was really mad.

Sonic rubbed his arm, "Look, I'm sorry I broke your model. Perhaps I could help you rebuild it?"

I didn't say anything but looked at the ground.

Sonic knelt down on the floor and gently tilted my head up. "I was just curious… That was the coolest model I've ever seen. You have a gift, buddy."

"I don't like the name Buddy…" I mumbled.

"Well I'm going to call you that 'til we come up with something better." He paused and smiled, "So you forgive me?"

I tried to glare at the hedgehog, but it was hard because of the sincere look in his eyes. My anger melted away. "Only if you help me build it again."

Sonic smirked. "Well, duh!"

The two of us spent the next hour on the little helicopter (well we would have gotten done sooner, but Sonic couldn't seem to work with the little pieces.)

When we finally finished, the metal figure wasn't as neat as it was before and one of the rotors was bent, but I thought it was perfect.

I gently placed on an outcropping in the cave and stood back to admire it. Sonic put his arm around me and smiled.

"Well, I think we make a good team."

Not sure how long we stood there, but suddenly, my stomach rumbled.

Sonic laughed, "Are you hungry already? It's not even noon!"

I gave a shy smile and shrugged.

The hedgehog picked me up and sped off. Literally ten seconds later we stood in front of a hot dog stand.

"Four chili dog's please." Sonic told the vendor.

 _Does he have chili dog's every day?_ "Um…Sonic? Can I have a cheese dog instead?"

The hedgehog looked down at me and shrugged. "Don't see why not. Scratch that, two chili dogs and two cheese dogs."

A few minutes later we were walking back to the cave, munching on lunch.

"So…buddy, how smart are you?"

I shrugged. "I don't really know… I've always loved reading though."

Sonic gulped down the last of his lunch then scooped me up on his back. "Reading's fun…but can you read this?" The hedgehog began to run, making me drop my remaining cheese dog since I had to hold on.

" _He really likes to run…"_ I thought as we broke the sound barrier…again.

Not sure how long we did run…I just know it was far enough to run off a cliff. Trust me, it's not as fun as it looks in the movies.

Sonic yelped as we zoomed off. "Chaos!" He kept running on air as we fell.

I twisted up my tails and began to spin them as fast as I could. Our decent slowed…but it was still a painful landing. I blacked out for a few seconds.

The blue hedgehog stood up and brushed himself off. "I keep forgetting there's a cliff there…"

"Keep forgetting?" I looked around nervously. _"Did he notice the flying…?"_ Apparently not.

"That may have been the third time I'd run off it…"

A bit annoyed, I gathered my backpack up and began to walk back towards the cliff. Sonic followed.

"Why is there a cliff there? There really shouldn't be one there after such a flat area of ground; I mean it makes no sense?"

"It's called land formations."

"Well they're awful. I mean-"

I tuned him out after that.

By the time we got back to the cave, Sonic had finished his rant about cliffs in poor places. "So little buddy, any ideas for a nick name?"

"No…"

"Well I'm exhausted. Do you mind if we just spend the rest of the day here?"

I shrugged and pulled out a pad of paper.

We found a tree and sat down leaning against it, staring up at the afternoon sky. Sonic closed his eyes and appeared to sleep. I started doodling on the paper.

We must have sat there for two hours because when I looked up, the sun was going down. I looked down at my picture. True, helicopters were pretty cool, but I'd always preferred planes, Bi-planes to be exact. Gently, I tapped Sonic's shoulder. "Sun's going down."

The hedgehog stood up. "Wait here." He zipped off and appeared ten seconds later with leftover blueberries. We ate in silence, watching the stars come out.

Sonic's POV:

I wanted to bring it up, I really did. But how to word it? I didn't want to be rude, but I wanted to know. Couldn't bring myself to ask until after dinner. Miles was staring up at the stars, his two fluffy tails waving in the wind slightly. I couldn't take it anymore.

"How did you do that?"

Miles looked over at me, his little seven year old face a bit confused. "Do what?"

I gestured towards the appendages, "I saw you slow our decent with your little tails of yours. How'd you do that?"

The little kit stiffened up a tad. "Um…."

We sat there for several minutes. "Miles…I'm just wondering."

"Well…" the kid hesitated, then launched into a rushed explanation, "IwasreadinginthelibraryonedayandIfoundabookonhelicoptorsand-"

"Whoa! Hold on! Slow down!" I held up my hands in a time out sign. "I move at the speed of sound but that doesn't mean I can keep up with that!"

Miles blushed then restarted slower. "I was reading in the library one day and there was this book about flying machines. I sort of got addicted to it for a long time. The sky has always appeared free to me. One day I was playing around with my Tails and…well this happened."

Miles stood up and started to twirl his tails around and around. He did this for about 20 seconds until he got fast enough to lift off the ground. Almost as soon as he had lifted off, he landed.

I just stared at him.

"Do you think I'm weird?"

"Miles, I'm a hedgehog who can run at the speed of sound. Why would I think a fox flying is weird?"

The little fox laughed the relief on his face all too clear. "Didn't think of that…"

I smiled at him, but on the inside I frowned. The little kid had a lot of talents, but too much teasing hid them all deep down inside. He had given up a long time ago on someone caring or encouraging him. That was all he needed… I shook the thoughts out of my head and launched into a series of questions.

"Can you show me again? How long can you do that? Is it tiring? How high can you go?"

For the next hour I asked Miles to show off and he gladly obliged. He did flips, tricks, even managed to lift me off the ground about five feet. Without my weight he was able to fly about fifteen feet up.

When the fox started yawning, I called it quits. Rather gently, I tucked him into the little makeshift bed.

"Goodnight Sonic…" Miles mumbled. His tails flickered in the small lantern light casting shadows around the cave.

That's when it hit me. I smiled, "Goodnight…Tails."

The little fox's eyes flickered open and he smiled at me. "Tails?"

"Any problems with that?'

He shook his head gently then turned on his side.

I laid down near him and smiled at his sleeping figure. "Tails…"

That night I had a nightmare.

* * *

 _I was running through the forest with Sonia and Manic. There were several buzz-bombers chasing us and they fired at us. The three of us went flying across the clearing, Robotnik's laughter ringing through the air._

 _I stood up and called out to them, but no one answered. I turned around to find the maniac scientist behind me in his ridiculous floating orb. That creepy laugh rang out again as several of his bot's shot at me. I avoided them easily and spin-dashed into his orb. The scientist cursed me as his orb started smoking._

" _Not today rat!"_

" _Hedgehog!"_

 _Robotnik smirked then held up a small figure in his arms._

" _Sonic!"_

 _I felt my blood go cold as Tails squirmed in the maniacs hands._

 _Several bot's came from behind and pinned me to the ground. I shouted and yelled, but to no avail._

 _Robotnik laughed his creepy laugh and threw the fox on the ground. "Destroy him."_

 _The buzz-bombers aimed at the trembling fox._

" _NO!"_

 _Tails screamed as the dozens of shots rang out._

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat around two in the morning. It's safe to say that I didn't sleep the rest of the night.

 **Me: Okay…not the way I planned it out, but it works. Review please!**

 **DW: Yes, my friend needs attention.**

 **Me: dream weaver! What did I say about mentioning that!**

 **DW: *shrugs***

 **Me: Nikki!**

 **DW: *runs away***

 **Me: But seriously, I like feedback because it helps me know there is someone out there that wants me to continue. Otherwise, I feel like no one is reading and this is a waste of my time. Thanks to everyone who is still interested!**


	9. Training Begins

**Thank you all for the reviews! I feel so appreciated! You're all amazing! Author's notes!**

 **Quantum27: I know right! I pointed out in one of my other stories that Sonic as to be some secret math genius. How else would he spin dash all pin ball like and manage to hit the target every time? Him and Captain America…seriously, hidden geniuses. As for the updates, I'm proud that I actually update more than once a year…no offense to anyone. I know that schedules are different, I'm glad mine is open enough for me to type every once and a while.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: I'm with you. I almost screamed while writing that dream… *cocks head* is that weird? As for the story thing, I've read some stories that I wonder what the authors were thinking, but hey, they posted it! Have to disagree on the story thing, but only because: If no one is reading one of my stories, then I can spend my time on another one! (;**

 **Autumn: Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it! Great heroes have hard pasts. E.g. - Batman and Robin.**

 **MArit: Thanks!**

 **fanboythehedgehog: Me too. Any suggestions? PM me!**

 **Chrystal: Okay, that makes me smile! Happiness!**

 **GlowingGem: Will do! To be honest, I can't wait to see what happens next too!**

 **When I get a lot of reviews (and that's quite a few) I usually feel more obligated to update ASAP.**

 **POINT:** **When I started writing this chapter, I planned it to be Tail's Birthday. But unfortunately, I remembered that earlier Tail's mentioned he was 6 and a…1/2? Maybe 3/4 …? Anyway, I realized it was a little too soon. So then I started playing with ideas and this is the result. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Let's get on with the story!**

 **Suggested Song: It's Not Over – By Daughtry**

Sonic's POV:

Around eight in the morning, Tails started jumping on me. No really, he climbed up out of bed and jumped on me.

"Okay! I'm up!" I yelled after the fifth bounce on my stomach. Groggily, I rubbed my eyes. Nothing keeps sleep out of your reach like a terrifying nightmare.

Unfortunately, Tails seemed to have gotten a good night sleep. He was jumping around as if he'd had a giant caffeinated soda. "What are we doing today? Running? Or do you want to go to a museum?"

"Tails…"

"Could we try a library? Oh, I miss library's…"

"Tails…"

Or we could go to the ocean! I love skipping rocks! Or-!"

"TAILS!"

The little kit froze and slowly turned around to see my annoyed face. "Ah…sorry…"

I stood up and stretched. "Why are you so excited?"

"Um…" Tails suddenly found the floor really interesting. "It's nothing really."

Scratching my head, I yawned again. "I don't really have anything planned today. Showed you everything I could really think of…"

Tails looked up, "So…could we maybe go to a library?"

To be honest, I didn't want to go running anywhere today. "Maybe tomorrow Tails, I'm a little tired. I had a bad night sleep." I still couldn't get those haunting images out of my head.

The fox nodded his face expressionless. "Okay, just wondering." He kicked a rock and wandered over to his backpack.

" _What's up with him?"_ I shrugged and lied back down on the floor. I really needed another few hours of sleep.

* * *

Not sure how long I was out, but long enough that Tails was able to make another, more intricate model. This one was a bi-plane.

I didn't try to fly this one.

At some point, the little guy had gone blueberry picking again. There was a small stack of them near me on a large leaf. I smiled and ate a late breakfast. After wards, I joined the fox outside.

Tails was too busy with his tails to notice me. He started spinning them until he was off the ground. Hesitantly, the little guy steered around…until he crashed into a nearby tree and fell to the ground with a large, 'thump'.

"Ouch!"

I smiled and was vaguely reminded of when I started running. "Hey buddy, you okay?"

"I think so…ow!" He frowned and checked the cut on his right tail.

"Come here."

Tails obliged. After a quick inspection, I wrapped a small bandage around it.

"It's just a scratch."

"Ouch!"

"Sorry! It must be in a very sensitive spot."

Tails rubbed the sore spot, taking a few steps away from me. He took flight again…and ended with nearly the same result.

"Yow!"

"Hold still!" I wrapped his arm this time, and this cut was a little bit worse.

And he ran off to try it again…

" _Will nothing stop this kid?"_ Apparently not…

After the scraped knee, I decided to step in. "Want some help?"

"Um…" Tails hesitated and looked at his feet. He had a tendency to do that when he was nervous about saying something… "No offense, but you don't…really…"

"Fly?"

He nodded.

I jumped, did a back flip in mid-air, then landed exactly where I had started. "Do you think I need to know how to fly?"

"…Yes."

With an eye roll I dragged him over to the clearing directly in front of the cave. "Alright, start spinning again."

Not convinced, Tails reluctantly obeyed. He started to spin his appendages very slowly then started to speed up.

After ten seconds I stopped him. "First of all, you don't have to go so slow."

The kit rolled his eyes.

"Two, you're tails are practically two rods. They're too stiff, which makes your hair stand up straight. Probably not the best to have all of that dragging through the air… It can't be too easy to control either."

I think that's when Tails actually started listening.

"Really? I didn't notice…"

I smiled, "That's why you need a coach. Now let's try it again."

With a new found eagerness, Tails started spinning again. This time, his 'blades' were a little more relaxed. After a few moments, he lifted off the ground.

"Just stay right there…" I walked around slowly. "Try to not look like a giant rag doll."

"Hey!"

"It's true!"

With his back arched and his legs and arms hanging down along with his head trying to see the ground, it certainly gave that impression.

 **(Me: Tails Doll! Ugh!**

 **Nikki: Who?**

 **Me: Archie Comics creepy doll that looks like Tails… Ugh!)**

Tails tried to straighten up a little, but ended up tumbling to the ground…again.

I helped him to his feet. "Next time, don't try and watch the ground so much. Focus on what's ahead of you. When you're hovering, it's alright to be a little loose. After all, you're in the air…not on solid ground."

Tails nodded. "Makes sense…"

"Also," I put my feet slightly apart and hung my arms at my sides, "when you're trying to steer, keep your arms loose, but don't drag them on the ground. The same goes for your legs. Relaxed, but not dragging, got it?"

Without responding, the kit started flying again. His form was better, but he was still having some problems with control.

"Try leaning with your whole body instead of just your head!" I called out.

Tails looked around a bit confused, "What?"

I repeated my instructions, and Tails tried again. After a few minutes, I called him back down.

"While you're getting better, you have to remember the golden rule."

"And that is…?"

"Lots of practice. Do you think I just woke up one day and knew how to run properly?"

Tails looked down at his feet again. "Um…isn't running…just, running?"

"You try breaking the sound barrier with nothing but your feet steering you. You have to have control, watch what's coming ahead of you, keep your strength up, and make sure you don't trip over anything. It's actually rather exhausting…" I was getting a little tired just thinking about it. Now that I actually mentioned it, I never realized how complicated it was to run at the speed of sound.

Tails seemed to share my view. "I guess I never thought of it that way…"

"Now, let's try it again."

The fox obliged.

We took a break around noon, munching on blueberries and some acorns that Tails had found after a mishap with a tree.

"Sonic…"

"Yeah Tails?"

The fox paused in his snacking and looked at his feet again.

"What do you want to ask me that you don't want to ask?"

"How can you tell that?"

"You're looking at your feet again. What Tails?" I repeated, popping another berry in my mouth.

Softly, he asked, "Do you like having me around?"

Now I looked at my feet. _"Maybe the kid's on to something with this 'looking down' thing…"_

"Sonic?"

"Um…" I pondered the question. "The long answer is yes…but the short answer is no."

Now he just looked confused. "What?"

I sighed softly. _"Great…"_

As I stood up, I stretched, trying to hide how nervous I was. "Well…let's put it this way. The long answer is yes Tails; I do enjoy having you around. These past three days have been some of the most enjoyable days in my life. The life of a hero can get rather lonely… True, there are a ton of fans, but none of them really understand me. They treat me as if I'm some deity. But I'm not. I'm just a normal person who must be crazy to fight Robotnik alone." I paused, and looked back at the fox. "Before I was a hero, I was an outcast, a lot like you. People thought I was a freak and picked on me. I just ran from them. Never tried to fight them or make them stop, I never felt the need too. I just sort of…existed."

Tails looked up at me and slowly nodded his head. "I can understand that…"

"That's why I like being around you." I sat down and put my hand on his shoulder. "You actually like me for being me. None of that super speed or kicking Robotnik butt…just hanging out with me." I smiled.

The fox smiled back at me. "What about the short answer?"

My smile grew a little smaller. "Short answer… Robotnik…"

It got really quiet after that. After a few minutes went by, I stood up and held out my hand. "Well let's get back to training."

Neither of us talked about the conversation the rest of the day, but both of us practiced. I helped Tails the whole day, taking a few running breaks every once and a while. When dinner came around, I sped off and came back with a peperoni pizza and two large sodas.

Tails loved it.

…Maybe a little too much.

It took me two hours to get him to bed after that.

" _I really need to remember that he's six…"_ I collapsed on the ground next to the kit, who was already snoring softly. Something told me that tonight, I wouldn't have any nightmares. Not sure if Robotnik's whole army exploding could have woken me up that night…

But I do know something that did.

* * *

Around midnight something gently shook me.

"Sonic…"

I moaned and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Sonic…" The whisper repeated.

"…mh…"

"Sonic…"

I finally opened my eyes a sliver. "What Tails…?" I mumbled groggily.

The fox looked down at the ground again. "I had a nightmare…"

" _What is it with this kid giving me the least amount of sleep in my life?"_ I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "Sorry…I don't know what to do about that."

"Could…I sleep…with you?"

I groaned on the inside. _"Yep…no sleep again…"_

"Look Tails…"

"Please?" He looked up at me with his big eyes, and I crumbled.

"Fine…"

His eyes brightened. "Thanks Sonic."

I shrugged, "No big deal." I rolled back on the ground and closed my eyes.

Behind me, I heard Tails lay down and scuffle with his blanket. The two of us fell back asleep.

At three in the morning, Tails started moaning, which woke me up pretty quick. Soon he was thrashing and mumbling to himself. I tried to ignore him, but it's kind of hard to ignore a kick in the back every other minute…

"Tails…you're just dreaming."

"MMmm…" He kicked me again.

"Wake up kid!" I mumbled, groping in the dark for the fox. When I finally found him, I shook him weakly. "Wake up…"

"Uhn…" Tails started squirming again.

I tried to recall what my Mom did when Sonia, Manic, or I were having bad dreams. I vaguely remembered her hugging and rocking us.

" _Oh no…I am not doing that."_

Unfortunately, I didn't have much of a choice. I wrapped my arms around the kid, putting my chin over his head, his back pressing into my chest. I mentally begged him to go to sleep.

Tails calmed down and eventually stopped freaking out after a few minutes. The only problem was when I let him go, he started moaning again. Every time I thought he was done, I'd leave him alone then have to go back. I figured it out eventually and fell asleep with the fox right next to me.

 **Awn… I love the whole brother relationship. Although Sonic playing the comforting Mother is rather amusing…**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next up… I have no idea. Seriously, I didn't think this would be very popular so let's just see where this story takes us.**

 **Please tell me what you thought, and if there is something I need to change. (e.g. – description, character development, etc.)**

 **Also, if you'd like to see any other Sonic characters such as Amy or Knuckles…I'll see what I can do. Just request!**

 **Not sure when I'll update again (finals next week so…) but see y'all then!**


	10. Record Breaking and Goal Setting

**To everyone outside the US, sorry but I don't use the metric system. Nor do I know how to convert inches to centimeters, or miles to kilometers. Sorry… Hope you can forgive me.**

 **To my reviewers:**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Glad you enjoyed it, and I'm sure the plot wouldn't be a mess.**

 **TheTigerGamer: I will see if I get Knuckles in the story. I want to see him too!**

 **Quantum27: Oh Amy… Sonamy all the way. Eh, what can I say? I'm the same way when I post. No comment.**

 **Autumn: I LOVE TAILS! HE'S SOOOO CUTE! And I'm posting the best I can. Sorry! I want to get this going to, because I'm seriously LOVING THIS STORY! Is that allowed…?**

 **Let's a' go! (…and I just pulled a Mario reference in a Sonic fan-fic…I'm ashamed of myself.)**

Tails POV:

I had been with Sonic for a month.

At this point I wasn't sure if I should cheer or cry…

I went with cheer.

"Go Sonic!" I shouted as the hedgehog zipped by. True, he was only a blur to me at the moment, but I could just imagine him smiling at me.

For the past hour, Sonic had been trying to beat his record of running to the nearest big city (1000 miles away) to our little cave that was our 'home' at the moment. So far, he'd only gotten as close as tying it.

"How'd I do Tails?" The tired hedgehog managed to ask before downing a water bottle in four big gulps.

"You beat it by a blink of an eye!"

The two of us exchanged high-fives.

It had been an amazing month. Sonic helped me with my flying and kept all the bullies away. We had enough food to eat that I was actually starting to gain a little weight. Throughout my whole life, I never imagined spending my time with any hero.

"So Tails…what do you want to do now?" Sonic lied back on the forest floor, staring up at the partly cloudy sky.

I joined him. "I don't know… Could we maybe…go to a library now?"

"What is it with you and libraries?"

Two years ago if someone had asked me that question, I would have cringed and ran away. Now, I could just tell Sonic was just making conversation. "I just like books…"

"Well…we can go, but only for an hour. I really don't like cramped spaces…" Sonic stood up. "Want to try again?"

I nodded nervously. The past few weeks I'd been trying to keep up with the hedgehog with my tails. So far, I'd been able to keep up the pace for four minutes or about 5 miles…not the best, but better than nothing.

"Hey, don't be nervous. Just try your best." Sonic ruffled my hair, smiling. "On your mark…"

I put my legs apart and clenched my hands into fists.

"Get set…"

Sonic knelt down into a starting position.

"GO!"

The both of us started running. Of course Sonic was ahead of me almost immediately, but I chose to ignore him for the moment. While I was running I started to spin my tails. Eventually, I lifted off the ground and chased after Sonic.

Let me point out, that he was not running at top speed. True, it was still fast, but it wasn't 'looks-like-a-giant-blue-line' fast. At first, I was only about a yard behind Sonic, but the space slowly grew until I was 10 yards behind him.

Sonic halted at the edge of the forest. I caught up ten seconds later, out of breath.

"How…did…I…do…?" I panted with exhaustion.

Sonic shook his head, "I don't know how to tell you this…"

My face fell.

"But you totally blew…the record away!" Sonic put me in a choke hold and ruffled my hair again.

"Sonic! Chaos, don't do that!" I moaned in annoyance.

"4.5 miles! Nice work little buddy!" Sonic gave me a water bottle which I eagerly drank from.

In celebration, Sonic and I stopped by a hot dog stand. Of course Sonic had a chili-dog, but I just stuck with a cheese-dog. We munched on our lunch while we walked to the library.

The actual trip was useful in whole. As individual events…it was really, really, really bad.

First, there was the fact that we had to throw away our unfinished food because the library didn't allow food or drink inside. It made sense and wasn't that bad, but Sonic really wasn't happy about that.

"Next time we come here, we get the food _after_ we leave."

Then, the librarian really didn't like noise. You'd think that was normal…if she wasn't mad when your footsteps make small tapping noises against the polished wooden floor. Whispering wasn't even allowed, so Sonic and I had to play a strange game of charades mixed with sign language and Pictionary…very confusing.

Eventually, we gave up on communication and agreed to meet back at the entrance in 45 minutes (which turned into 40 minutes because it took that long to get the message across).

As quiet as possible I wandered over to the aeronautics section and scanned every book I could find on helicopters. When my time was almost up, I grabbed a pretty thick book on bi-planes.

Sonic did practically nothing but find the few comics in the building and finished all of them with 30 minutes to spare. Pretty sure he napped the rest of the time.

Our next problem was with the actual librarian. Apparently, in order to check out a book, you have to

1\. Register at the Library. –That took five minutes.

2\. Get a library card. –Also took a few minutes.

3\. Not be a 'two-tailed freak.' –Sonic took the situation from there.

Let's just say it involved a lot of raised voices and three shelfs were knocked over by the time we left, book in hand. We were not to come back…ever.

So useful part of trip: I got a free book.

Also on the plus side, the two of us stopped for ice cream to make up for our lost lunch. Sonic got chocolate but I decided to have vanilla.

"Sorry you had to go through that…again."

Neither of us had spoken since the ice cream cart. By this point, we were back in the forest. It was late afternoon.

I shrugged, "I'm used to it. Besides, at least there's someone who's standing with me…"

"You got that right." Sonic finished his cone and licked his fingers. "So what book did you get?"

I swung my backpack off and pulled out the volume. " _Flying Among the Stars: Bi-Planes._ I've never heard of it before."

"Can't say I have either. Bi-planes, uh?"

"Yeah… I really like flying. It's just…so freeing."

"I feel the same thing about running."

Sonic motioned for me to put the book away and crouched down to a runner's starting position. "Want to try again?"

Hurriedly, I put the book away and got ready. "Yes please."

"On your mark…get set…GO!"

We sped back towards the cave at half sonic speed.

This time, I survived 4.52 miles.

Sonic's POV:

One month with company…a strange experience that I hadn't had since staying with Vanilla all those years ago.

When we arrived at the cave, both of us were a little winded. We collapsed against our usual tree and caught our breath. Tails brought out his book and began to read, while I closed my eyes and leaned back.

Truth be told, I rarely was actually asleep. This was one of the many trick's I'd learned over the years to avoid crazy fans. Fans are a lot less likely to bother me when I'm 'asleep.' But I had also discovered that this position was a nice time to think without being disturbed.

What I thought about depended on the day. Today, my mind was focused on Miles.

He'd been with me for a whole month, and somehow, that had been the best month of my life since Robotnik shattered my life. This little fox had in some way, filled the hole in my heart.

I smiled slightly at the memories and adventures over this wonderful time. We had gone hunting for spare parts at an old dump, ran around the country, ate at every chili-dog stand in town, gone to the library, ran around the town, gone on a scavenger hunt that I had put together for the little kid, and ran some more.

Yeah, we had had some cool adventures together. I just wished they would never end.

 _Well who said they had too?_

My eyes popped open and I looked over at the fox. "Hey Tails, I'm going for a run. You just stay here okay? I'll be back in about an hour." I sped off before the fox could respond.

After I got a considerable distance between the cave and me, I collapsed against another tree and closed my eyes again.

" _Okay…it's out in the open now. It's crossed your mind before but now it's time to acknowledge it."_

Keep Tails around? Could I really? Well, no one wants him…and there's no foster care that seems to know about him. Why not?

Let's see, ROBOTNIK.

I winced at that thought, _"True, but he hasn't made any moves in almost 2 years…maybe he's given up?"_

That was the hardest thing to tell in this whole situation. It was true; Robotnik hadn't made a peep in a long time. Part of me hoped he had died from his insanity issues…but that was too good to be true…right?

"Ugh!"

I stood up and looked around at the clearing. _"Let's think this through…"_

One: the kid has nowhere to go and if I'm not going to keep him around then I should turn him loose soon.

Two: He's really smart and knows how to fight now. I've taught him all I've learned so if I do turn him loose, he'll be fine physically.

Three: Miles has grown to care about me just as I've grown to care about him so leaving him behind may not be the best thing for a six year old mentally.

Four: I've noticed that when Tails is around, I'm not as sad and don't feel as rushed in life. The kid actually slows me down, and I enjoy it.

Well that pretty much sold it. Miles Prower was staying with me…

Part of my brain hesitated, _"…unless I feel that it's for the best…"_

I smiled and shrugged the thought aside. I stood up and ran back the direction I came.

About an hour after I left, I popped into the clearing again. "Tails!"

The little fox poked his head out of the cave, "In here Sonic!"

I zipped in to find the cave all decorated with vines and flowers from the forest. In the center of the room was a large pile of blueberries along with a small stack of chili-dogs. I looked around a little confused, "Am I missing something?"

Tails flickered his namesakes about nervously. "Um…well it's been a month since we met so I thought we could celebrate?"

I smiled big, "Wish I'd thought of it first. Be right back! You can't have a party without a cake!"

Ten minutes later I placed a small chocolate cake on the ground next to the rest of the food. "Let's eat!"

As we ate, I pondered how to word my little surprise. Tails told me all of these cool facts that he had learned in his book while he was gone and I smiled, making snide remarks and jokes every once in a while.

When the dogs had been reduced to sauce and the last crumb of cake had been swallowed, I finally decided to speak. "Tails…can we talk about something?"

The fox smiled, "Yes, but first…" He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small watch. "This is for you. It's a thank you present."

I gently took the device from his hand and examined it. At first glance, there wasn't anything special about it. It was a bright red digital watch with a setting for a stopwatch. "Wow… Did you make this yourself? I'm impressed."

Tails nodded, "This is my favorite feature…" He reached over and pressed the blue button on the side. "It's a communicator. Hold down this button and talk. I have the other one." He pointed to the matching watch on his wrist.

Now I was really impressed. "Thanks Tails…I love it." I put the watch on and admired it. "You really have a gift little buddy," I ruffled his hair gently.

"Thanks." The fox gave me a quick hug. "What did you want to talk about?"

I smiled at him, with this huge grin, "Well as you said, you've been with me for a month. Do you remember what I asked you when I first took you in?"

"…Yes…" Tails looked at me, his eyes growing a little wider. "You asked if I wanted to stay with you for a little while…" His voice got really quiet.

" _Great…he thinks I'm going to kick him out."_ I mentally smacked myself for the terrible wording.

"Miles Prower."

The fox looked at me with sad eyes. "Yes?" He asked weakly.

"I'm now asking you if you'd like to-"

A boom echoed in the distance…a really big boom. I stood up and sped out of the cave, Tails close behind. In that terrible town that had treated Tails terribly a large cloud of smoke rose from the center.

"What…is…that?" Tails asked, his voice shaking slightly.

There was only one person I knew who made that big of an explosion. "Robotnik…he's back."

 **AHHHHHHH! WHY? Okay, I know I'm writing this story, but I'm still depressed and mad. Review!**


	11. Robotnik's Return

**Okay, I'm just mean. Reviews!**

 **Autumn: You're fine. It just motivated me, and I need motivation. I'm glad for that. (Just don't go to crazy if I don't update for a week. Then it's just annoying…but every month or so, just fine.)**

 **Quantum27: I hope there is no library in the world that is like that. Ugh…**

 **Guest: Thanks! I won't stop until…well I have no idea.**

 **Michael Wellington Prower: No, I haven't played Sonic Chronicles. But don't worry; I'll be bringing in a familiar face soon. Very soon. Are you talking about Tails? I know he is supposed to be 7, but I think I mentioned that he's 6 ¾. I'm planning on having his birthday soon. Then we have the age correct.**

 **Song suggestion: Take it Out On Me- by Thousand Foot Crutch**

 **Or if you're not a harder rock kind of person: Gravity- by Against the Current**

Sonic's POV:

There is only one thing in this world that could ruin my day; and that is Robotnik. If a chili-dog stand is out of chili-dogs, I'll be sad and disappointed, but it won't ruin my day.

"Robotnik…here? But why?" Tails looked afraid as another explosion rocked the valley. At this rate, the town would be rubble in a matter of hours.

I knelt down and put my hands on his shoulders. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out." I stood up and stretched, getting ready to run.

"Can I help?"

I froze in place. "Uh…." _He wanted to what?_

Tails patted his backpack. "I may have something to help in here. Besides, it's robots attacking right? You know how smart I am."

"Yeah, but-"

"And you taught me how to fight really well."

"Yes, but Tails-"

"And I want to help you." The little fox smiled at me with those big eyes.

Another blast echoed in the distance.

"Tails…I want you to stay here."

The kid's face fell. "But I want to-"

"I know but I need you stay here. If you come…well things could happen."

"I'll be really careful." Tails pleaded.

Slowly, I shook my head, "No Tails."

"But-"

"This isn't up for debate Miles!" I got ready to run. "Now I need you stay here. Got it?"

The fox nodded. When I called him, 'Miles,' he knows I mean business. "Yes Sonic…"

I gave him a small smile. "I'll be back in a little bit," then took off.

While I was running, my thoughts were racing. Why was Robotnik back? After so long, you'd think he'd had given up by now.

I zipped into the city, which was busy evacuating. Many people ran across the bridges, desperate to get out. I ignored them and went straight to the source of the problem.

I found the big guy in the center of town, sitting in the control counsel of a giant robot. It was about as tall as a two-story house…and that was big for Robotnik. The robot appeared to be armed with missile launchers, which explained the large explosions and craters in the street.

"Yo! Ro-butt-nik!" I zipped by, bouncing up on the shell of the bot, stopping face to face with the would-be dictator.

Robotnik growled, "Of course you're in the area. But no matter! My new Missile Bot will destroy you!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Doc." I flipped off the controls and landed in a ready position. "I've almost missed your terrible schemes."

We charged at each other, ready to fight.

Tail's POV:

I was mad…and afraid. Sonic was fighting that evil man alone, and wouldn't let me help him. Why couldn't I help? I knew I could handle it…if Sonic was there to help, of course. But what if the hedgehog got in trouble? Who would help him then?

That's what kept echoing in my head as I waited for Sonics return. I looked at the red watch that I had spent hours making. It had only been two minutes.

"Ugh!" I kicked a rock on the ground making it fly about ten feet. "I want to help!"

Sonic probably thought I couldn't handle it…or that I was useless. Why else would he want me to stay behind? And what did he want to tell me before that man attacked? Probably that it was time for us to separate.

But I didn't want too! Sonic was the closest thing I had ever had to a friend, and I didn't want to lose my only friend…who was fighting a man with laser shooting robots!

Three minutes after Sonic had left I couldn't take not knowing what was going on. I flew as fast as I could to the town. There would be no harm in me watching from the distance…right? I mean, I can't take the tension of now knowing.

When I finally got to town, almost everyone had been evacuated, minus a few small clusters of people. No one paid me any mind. I came to the center town and found Sonic and Robotnik fighting like the end of the world was in the balance…which, in a way, was true.

I ducked behind some rubble watching the match with fascination. Sonic was spin-dashing and dodging every attack the insane Doctor threw at him, while Robotnik managed to keep the blue hedgehog from destroying his giant mech.

" _The workman ship is actually really nice on that thing. Although, that cape is just pointless; if anything it actually hinders the bot…"_

As if Sonic was reading my mind, he ran through the robot's feet, grabbed the cape, and flipped backwards over the head, covering Robotnik's vision and confusing the robot itself. The hedgehog landed in a crouch then stood up. "Is that all you got?"

"Far from it you blue rodent!" The doctor somehow managed to maneuver the bot to pull the cape off. He activated the missile launcher and began to fire at Sonic repeatedly. The latter dodged every missile, running at the speed of sound.

After the last missile exploded, he screeched to a halt. "Pathetic, Doctor Robo."

"It's Robotnik you annoying pest!"

I clapped from behind my hiding place, but of course no one heard me. _"Go Sonic!"_

The 'good' Doctor began firing again, with Sonic running ahead. The blue hedgehog ran in a circle around the clearing over and over again. Every missile missed him…although I wouldn't say the same for everything else.

Any buildings in the area that had managed to stay upright had been turned to rubble and all the cars had either been crushed or exploded. I ducked down at one point when one of the shot's came a little too close for my taste.

Sonic ran up the leg of the robot spin dashing fast enough to cut through the metal. The left arm fell to the ground with a large 'thump.' The hedgehog landed with his back to my hiding place. I could just picture the smirk on his face, "Give up Robotnik?"

Furious, Robotnik managed to keep his balance somehow up long enough to send off five more shots off.

Good news; Sonic dodged the missiles.

The bad news…I was in the line of fire. With a yelp, I ducked behind my hiding place (a large chunk of cement) as the missiles hit near me. When the smoke cleared, my hiding spot was just small chunks of rubble.

No one had noticed me yet.

Sonic spin-dashed the right arm off, landing on top of the smoking appendage. "How about now? You're not going to hit me anytime soon…"

Robotnik's mech fell to the ground, smoking. The Doctor looked a little uncomfortable and very, very angry. "Why you little-"

He never got to finish his sentence because the arm Sonic was standing on suddenly exploded. The hedgehog went flying, crashing into a large chunk of metal. He lay on the ground, not moving.

Without thinking, I zipped over to him. "Sonic! Sonic! Sonic!" I sat him up and started shaking him slightly, "Sonic! Wake up! Wake up, Please!"

The hedgehog didn't respond.

Narrator's POV:

The 'Great' Doctor Robotnik watched the scene, the shock on his face evident. He had not seen the arm exploding incident coming. But he also had not seen the two-tailed fox coming.

"Who in Chaos are you, two-tailed freak?"

Tails looked over at the doctor, shaking with fear. He shook Sonic again, hoping the hedgehog would wake up, but no reaction. _"At least he's breathing…"_

Behind him, Robotnik shrugged, _"Eh, no matter. I can finally destroy this pest…"_ He pushed the large red button on the counsel. The chest of the robot opened to reveal a dozen missiles.

The little fox heard the clicking noises and watched in horror as the bot turned towards him and his unconscious friend.

"Any last words freak?"

Tails stood up, looked at the robot, looked at Sonic, looked at Robotnik, looked back at Sonic, looked back at the robot, and narrowed his eyes. "My name is TAILS!" The fox ran towards the large hunk of metal and spun his tails.

In a matter of seconds, he was in the air above the bot. With one motion, he swooped down and landed on the back of the bot. Tails pulled out a screwdriver and opened the control panel, reached in, and tore out the main wires.

Up in the cockpit, Robotnik stared in shock as his consul blinked, and then died. With disgust he ejected into his strange floating orb.

On the ground, Sonic moaned and sat up, rubbing his head. Trying to blink the pain away, he tried to recall what he had been doing.

The robot toppled backwards, as Tails shot up and began to fly again.

Above the fox, the doctor watched his creation go up in flames. Taken out by a two-tailed fox… Robotnik glared and whirled his orb around. "You little freak! I'm going to make you pay for this!" He pushed a button and three missiles shot out.

With a yelp, Tails frantically attempted to dodge, but was a little too slow.

The first shot completely missed and landed about five feet from the recovering Sonic. Sonic jumped up looking around just in time to see Tails in the sky, "TAILS!"

The other two missiles collided into one another, missing the flying fox by inches. Although the shot's missed him, the shockwave and shrapnel didn't.

Sonic watched the little kid he'd grown to care for drop like a weight onto what remained of town square.

Sonic's POV:

I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even move. I just stared in horror at the spot where Tails landed. "No…"

Robotnik gave a diabolical laugh, "Oh Sonic, you really need to take better care of your friends."

My mind flooded with rage. With an indistinguishable scream I charged at the Doctor.

Later, I reflected on the experience and wondered if I would have killed him. To be honest, I probably would have, if his stinking orb wasn't force-fielded.

I hit the field, bouncing harmlessly away.

With a look of terror, Robotnik flew away.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone run over to Tail's body and pull him out of the rubble. I ignored them, and chased Robotnik.

Not sure how long I ran after him, but it was long enough to be far out of town and deep into the forest. While running, my mind started to clear and eventually, I gave up on the chase. I was exhausted and knowing Robotnik, he would call his buzzers in soon.

Without even bothering to yell an insult as I ran back, I picked up the speed, praying that Tails would be alright.

 **As I said, I am so mean… Review!**


	12. Amelia Rosalina

**Well, last time I was mean. This time, I'm going to take the spotlight off of Miles and Sonic's brother relationship for a little bit and we're going to meet a familiar face. Comments on Reviews!**

 **Autumn: Thanks! I'm always nervous about the fighting scenes because I feel as though they are terrible no matter how I write them.**

 **GlowingGem: Who was your hunch? Just out of curiosity. Thanks for the review!**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: You're about to find out.**

 **Quantum27: I was really tempted to actually have Sonic almost kill Robotnik, but decided that it would probably not be the best move… He'd be emotionally scarred and all this other junk would follow on top of the guilt of Tails getting hurt. Not cool.**

 **DMCsupergamer: I tried to post this the same day as the last chapter, but didn't finish. But here you go! Enjoy!**

 **Anna779: Thank you! I'm so glad you find it that way. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story.**

 **Okay, I love the whole, Sonic saves Amy from Metal Sonic and she develops this huge crush on him and blah, blah, blah. But as I wanted to bring in other characters, even only for a second, I couldn't see how I could fit this in. As in the series, Metal Sonic doesn't show up for a little while…right? Isn't after Sonic the Hedgehog 2? (check me on that, as I'm not positive.)**

 **So I decided to bring her in a different way… Hope you enjoy it.**

 **Here's the best way I could figure out how to bring in Miss Amelia Rosalina. (Yes I know that's not her name but there's a reason here… It just won't come up for a while...or at all...) Hope you all enjoy!**

Narrator's POV:

Amy's summer vacation was going horribly before Robotnik attacked. In fact, she almost welcomed the distraction because she was so bored.

At the beginning of the summer, her parent's had taken the liberty of booking her whole summer with their boring hospital conventions and doctor classes. The pink hedgehog was getting tired of sitting in the back, hearing the same speech over and over again. At this point she had the presentation memorized.

The only plus side had been that she gotten to see the famous, Green Hill Zone; the very location where Sonic the Hedgehog had made his first mark.

When Amy had first heard about the amazing hero, she hadn't believed it. Her parent's had planted her with a firm belief in hard, solid, evidence. But eventually, videos, pictures, and interviews had come out and now the eleven year old girl was one of his biggest...fans, as was every other girl her age.

Most of the girls ranted about how cute he was, but Amy focused more on his heroics and morals. She couldn't think of another person that put their lives on the line stopping Robotnik. And she wanted to know why.

Sonic the Hedgehog was just another virus that needed investigating, digesting, and analyzing, in order to find the antidote. And that 'antidote' was something Amy was determined to find.

Unfortunately for her, she wanted to do that without the danger of being shot at.

When Robotnik attacked, Amy found herself separated from her parent's and deep in the city. She ran around, trying to find the way out. But she had never been here before, and everyone else had either taken shelter or gotten out. While out and about, she had heard clanking of metal and decided to investigate.

Imagine her surprise when she not only found Robotnik but the famous Sonic the Hedgehog. She was a little smarter than Tails and kept back from a very safe distance. With fascination, she watched the hero of her world trash Robotnik's robot. _"He's my age…"_ she thought with a little bit of shock.

It was true, most people that pictured Sonic in their minds imagined him in his late teens, early twenties. Not twelve years old.

She too had watched in horror as Sonic went flying and was knocked unconscious. In fact, she was trying to find a way to drag him to safety without being spotted when some yellow fox showed up out of nowhere and tried to wake him up. _"Are you crazy kid? Get him out of there!"_

After Tails took out the robot, Amy changed her mind about him being crazy. The kid was insane. Brave, but still insane.

When Tails went down, she rushed as fast as she could through the rubble and burning cars to him while Sonic was distracting Robotnik. Gently, she pulled him out of the rubble and laid him on flat ground.

A large sonic boom informed the girl that Sonic had left the area, probably to chase Robotnik.

Amy ignored that fact and focused on her patient. The small fox was cut in several places and was bruised, but the girl ignored the fact and checked for a pulse and for breathing. Her parent's lessons echoing in her mind,

" _Always make sure that the victim's heart is beating. It doesn't matter if they have a broken arm; if they aren't conscious and their heart's not beating or they aren't breathing, then it won't help to splint the arm."_

No heartbeat. Amy clasped her left hand over her right hand and placed them in the center of the kid's chest and began CPR.

" _Push two inches deep. If you're breaking ribs, then you're doing good CPR. Make sure it's 100 beats per minute. Too fast or too slow won't be as good."_

She continued for two minutes then checked again. Still nothing.

Amy continued. Never in her life had she imagined her parent's apparently useless training would actually come in handy.

Four minutes later, still nothing.

Eight minutes.

Ten minutes.

Amy felt so tired, but continued to the best of her abilities.

Around twelve minutes, Sonic came back to the square. He found the strange pink hedgehog performing CPR and felt his heart stop. "Can I help?"

Amy nodded and gasped out, "Take my place…while I…try and…find an AED…"

Sonic stepped in and took over, tears filling his eyes, _"Please be okay Miles…Please don't die."_

Amy rummaged through the rubble until she found a mostly undamaged Automated External Defibrillator from a nearby, now destroyed, dentist office. She ran back over to the blue hedgehog, who's soft sobs could now be heard by the girl.

" _I don't think we're supposed to use this on a six year old...but I'm not sure we have a choice at this point…"_ Amy turned on the machine and prepped it. "Alright, get clear."

Sonic stepped back as the shock was delivered.

The fox jumped slightly then started throwing up. Amy turned him on his side, so the fox wouldn't start choking.

Still shaking slightly, Sonic sighed in relief.

The pink hedgehog held the little kid on his side, gently stroking his fur keeping him as calm as possible.

After a few minutes, the little fox passed out from exhaustion. Amy continued to hold him, checking his breathing and pulse every once in awhile.

It was a few minutes before Sonic finally got the nerve to speak. "Th-thank you. I don't know wh-what would have happened if you hadn't been h-here."

"It was nothing really. I'm just glad he's okay…" she brushed her short hair back behind her ear, looking up at the hedgehog with new interest. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"More like family at certain points." Sonic sat down and took the sleeping fox from the girl's hands. "Oh Tails… why did you come here?" He whispered softly to himself.

"Tails?" Amy looked down at the twin-appendages. "Please tell me that's not his real name. What parent would do that to their kid?"

"It's a nickname." Sonic looked up at the strange girl, "Who trained you in medical procedure? You don't look remotely old enough to be a nurse."

"My Mother and Father are a nurse and a doctor. And for the record, I'm almost 11." Amy fell silent for a moment. "Although, I never actually dreamed having to use their lessons anytime soon."

Both of them looked down at the little fox and smiled slightly.

"I'm Sonic by the way."

"I know. I'm a big fan."

The hedgehog raised an eyebrow, "You weren't stalking me, were you? Is that why you were nearby?"

"No! I didn't even know you were here! I just followed the sound of banging metal!" Amy glared at the boy, wanting to hammer him, but managing to restrain herself.

Sonic must have seen the dangerous gleam in her eye and backed off, "Sorry. I've met too many crazy fans. Really sorry Miss…?"

"Amelia Rosalina. But my friends call me Amy. Or at least they would if I had any friends."

Sonic smiled at her, "I know the feeling."

"Yeah right."

"No really. Yeah, there are a lot of people who treat me good and give me free food, but none of them are my actual friends. More of… 'acquaintances who love it when I rescue them from an evil tyrant'."

"Wow… I would have thought… Well a hero like you… I mean you'd think there would be a lot of people..." Amy felt her face go red. "This isn't coming out right."

"No I get it." Sonic smile grew slightly. "A person as famous as me would have a ton of 'friends', paparazzi, and fan-girls, right?"

Sheepishly, Amy nodded.

"Eh, don't really like that stuff. I prefer a real friend over all that anyday." he grinned at her.

"Like Tails?"

Sonic's face fell and he looked down at the small fox on his lap. "Yeah…"

It got really quiet after that. Amy just stared at the hedgehog, her brain running in overload. _"He's smart, brave, funny, caring and doesn't like cameras. Not at all what I expected."_

Truth be told, Amy believed that Sonic did all of his saving for the glory and fame. Now, she had no idea what to think. Never in her life had she imagined running into the famous hedgehog. She watched Sonic holding Tails, mumbling something under his breath. "You really do care about people."

"Of course. Why would I risk my life if I didn't?"

"I guess I just always thought you did it for the fame or money…"

"And who, Miss Amy, would pay a twelve year old for doing a man's job?"

Amy shrugged, "A politician? I have no idea. I'm sure there's someone out there."

Sonic rolled his eyes, "That's what people do, work for money. Why shouldn't I?"

"I didn't mean-"

"Look Miss Amy, I know that the world is selfish but that doesn't mean it's all bad. You're a perfect example."

"...I am?" she shook her head a little confused.

"I know most everyone, if put in your shoes, would have been more concerned about their safety then the safety of others. You not only risked your life to help another, but you aren't asking for any reward. Half of the people who would have run out here, would only have done it if they saw money in the future." Sonic paused, "I don't know why, but the bravest and kindest people in our world seem to be children… You're one of them."

Amy felt her face turning red again. "Thanks...but you've done more than I have."

"You've saved a life. That's more than most people on this selfish rock can claim." Sonic smiled. "Don't ever stop trying to save others. You'll find that it's the best thing to take up your time with."

After another few minutes of silence, the sound of distant footsteps started to fill the air as the townspeople began to come back to see what was left of their home. Sonic stood up, the little fox still in his arms.

"I think I'd better get going before some fangirl tries to attack me...again."

Amy smiled then handed him Tail's backpack. "Of course Mr. Sonic."

"My friends call me Sonic."

"Are we friends?" the pink hedgehog raised an eyebrow.

Sonic allowed a small smile. "Are we not?" He grew serious, "Again, thank you for saving Tails. If you ever need anything, anything at all. Just call." The hedgehog turned around and began to walk away.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Amy called after him.

Sonic looked back and smiled, "You're a smart girl Amy, I'm sure you'll think of something." He picked up the pace and disappeared down the street after a few seconds.

She didn't move for several minutes after that, staring at the same spot where Sonic had stood a few minutes previously. Finally, the calls of her parent's snapped her out of her trance.

"Amelia! Amelia Rosalina! Where are you?"

Amy ran in the direction until she found her parents. "Over here!"

Her Mother gave her a quick hug, then pulled away to look at her, "Where have you been?! You just vanished!"

"I got separated in the crowd. I'm sorry."

"What happened after that."

"I hid." Amy replied without hesitation.

Doctor Rosalina looked at his daughter. "Is that all?"

"Pretty much," the young girl smiled. "I'm just glad to see you."

The parent's smiled and took the young girl's hands. As they walked away, Amy couldn't help but look back at Town Square and wonder when she'd see her Blue Hero again.

"Hey Mom, can you show me how to attend to an open wound?"

"What?"

"I want to know how to do it. You never know when you may need it."

"Since when did you get so interested in the medical field? You said you hated first aid!"

Amy smiled to herself, "I want to know...just in case."

 **Ta-Da! I hope you enjoyed it. Did you like Amy as a nurse? Depending on how long this story is going to be (and at this point, I have no idea) I may or may not bring her back in. We'll just have to see.**

 **On that note: I do not know when to end this story, so I have a question for everyone.**

 **I have an idea for continuing this story past the Sonic Tails bro relation stuff.**

 **I'm planning on Knuckles and Cream to make an appearance during 'Miles from Home,' but I want to also have Rouge and Shadow come in...but not in this story. And way down the road (not really) I want to have a story where Sonic's friends find out about his past… and may or may not bring Sonia and Manic into the mix.**

 **First question: Would you like to see this? Or would you just prefer for me to focus on Tails and Sonic becoming brothers and then end it there.**

 **If you answer yes, then what do you want to see? I'm thinking that I could do my take on Sonic Adventure 2 and then we'd meet Rouge and Shadow. Or perhaps I could attempt to introduce Blaze and Silver in a different way that doesn't involve Sonic '06. Or I could do the confrontation of Sonic's past, as I already stated Or all of them. What do you think about that?**

 **Last question: If I do end up doing multiple stories would you prefer if I shoved them into the same story doc, or if I made them separate? Either is fine, but I'd like to know what would be easier for you.**

 **Leave your opinion in the reviews or PM me. Thanks y'all! You're Amazing!**


	13. I Hate You

**Hi again! Comments!**

 **Autumn: Thanks for the input. I'm not sure how long this tale will be. Pun not intended...and that was a really bad one too. But I'm definitely going to do the past story. Maybe I'll go back later and fill in the missing time, but hey. You never know.**

 **Quantum27: Personally, I love Amy as a character. But her obsessiveness makes her rather annoying. Sometimes I find it really funny, or really cute, but most of the time it's really bad. That's one reason I really enjoyed Sonic Boom. Amy wasn't this crazy fangirl, but she still had a crush on him. She just played it way down. But she was also an archeologist, a really smart one at that. I wanted to do something similar but with the doctor aspect instead of a scientist (although I may bring it up later… Idea Alert!) Pretty sure Sonic disguising his past is one of the bigger fan fictions, but I love them so much!**

 **purplerush3: Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciated and will take your comments to heart. Hope you continue to like and read the story! And best wishes to you too!**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: *curtsies in return***

 **Anna779: I hope you like this chapter…it's a little more drastic.**

 ***in large announcer's voice* Last time on, "Miles from Home," Sonic met a very brave girl named Amelia Rosalina, who saved Tails life. The two of them had a wonderful conversation about saving lives and helping out. In the end, Sonic departed from the girl's presence promising her that if she ever needed help, she could count on him. Our story continues as Sonic debates on what to do with Tails while the little fox is still unconscious. Should he keep him around? Or should he let him go? (aka get as far away as possible from him) What will he do?**

 **Okay, I couldn't resist.**

 **More important matter: It's the 13th chapter. You know what that means?**

 **Nicole: It's a chapter?**

 **Me: No something is going to go horribly wrong! Have you not been paying attention?**

 **Nicole: Wait, in every single one of your 13th chapters, something has gone wrong? Is that on purpose?**

 **Me: ...Sometimes, but actually, this time it just happened.**

 **Nicole: Great...**

 **Me: I don't like the number 13!**

 **Nicole: *rolls eyes.* I'm leaving. *teleports away***

 **On to the story!**

Sonic's POV:

I really didn't want to do it. Honestly, it was the hardest decision that I'd ever had to make. But between Robotnik's return and Tails getting hurt, I had no choice. The Fox had to go…and that was the hardest part.

Now I was standing on a hill overlooking Vanilla's old town. I wondered if she was still down there…but that wasn't why I was there. Everyone here had treated me as their best friend as soon as they had laid eyes on me all those years ago. I was hoping they'd do the same for Tails. Plus, I knew there were a few auto-shops and some trinket stores in town, not to mention the small library in the center of town.

Yes sir, this was probably the best place to leave Tails. …Leave Tails. I sighed. Oh man, this was going to be hard. I took a deep breath and composed myself. _Can't break down in the middle of talking to the kid…it'll just make things worse._

Tails lay on the ground about twenty feet behind me. He'd been out for almost three hours now since the incident. But he was starting to stir.

" _Okay Sonic, don't lose it…keep your cool."_

I heard Tails moan and move around. "Sonic…where are we?"

I resisted the urge to turn around. "Johnsontown, an old home of mine from before I became Sonic."

My ears pricked up as the little fox got to his feet. "Why are we here?"

I didn't reply right away. Tails managed to come up and stand next to me. It took all my strength not to look at him.

Finally I sighed, "It's a lot better than that old town of yours…and it's not in ruins."

"Ruins? What do you mean?"

"Did you not see the damage Robotnik did when you snuck in?"

Tails scrunched up his face in confusion, "Robotnik? The last thing I remember was talking to you…after I gave you the communicator."

Great…the kid had a concussion. Now why hadn't that crossed my mind to take him to a hospital?

"Sonic, my head hurts really bad…can I go back to sleep?"

"Not yet Tails." My mind struggled trying to find a way to get the kid to a hospital. I couldn't do it, because the longer I kept Tails around, the harder it would get to let him go. Vanilla crossed my mind almost immediately. "There's a lady in town, well a rabbit. She lives on the edge of town…Copper Street, I believe. Her name is Vanilla Rabbit and she is really nice. Go there and tell her that you suffered a concussion and need a checkup. She can take you to the hospital."

"I have a…what happened?" He rubbed his head, swaying slightly. I was shocked he was still standing.

"It's a long story Miles. Don't worry about it, okay? Just find her."

That's when Tails saw the whole picture. "Wait…what about you?"

I forced myself to look back over the town, "I'm leaving."

"…Why?"

"Robotnik's back. Someone's got to stand up to him."

"Let me help!" Tails smiled at me, then grabbed his head again. "Oww…"

"No Tails, you're hurt real bad."

"Then why don't you come back when I'm better?"

"Because it's not that simple Miles!" I snapped.

The kit took a few steps back, the fear in his eyes evident.

I realized I was too harsh and lowered my voice, "I…I just can't. You stay here. This place is amazing. I know you'll like it. There's a library and a few auto shops. It's a good place to grow up. And Vanilla is a very nice woman, not too pushy, but kind-hearted."

"But I don't want to stay here…I want to go with you." Tails looked at the ground.

My heart was starting to feel as though it was being torn at. "I'm sorry Miles. You can't come." I looked away and stared back over the town.

No one spoke for several minutes.

"I'm sorry Tails, I hope you understand."

"…I get it. Trust me, I understand." Part of me felt relieved, but the other part felt that there was something wrong with how his voice sounded.

"You do?"

"Yes. I'm a worthless kid who will only get in the way of everything." Tails glared straight ahead, his face angry.

My relief vanished, "I never said-"

"I can't help and will only make the situation worse because I'm a freak."

"Now wait a sec-"

"You don't want me around because when the public gets word that the great Sonic the Hedgehog hangs out with a two-tailed, super smart, six year old freak they'll treat you like some sort of idiot."

"Tails, that's not what I-"

The fox whirled around on me, "CAN YOU STOP THE ACT ALREADY?!"

I took a step back. Okay, now this situation was spiraling out of hand. "Tails I-"

"JUST STOP IT! STOP PRETENDING YOU ACTUALLY CARE!"

"But I do care! It's just that-"

"SHUT UP!" Tails punched me in the stomach and covered his ears.

I dropped to one knee, gasping for air. " _Chaos, how hard can this kid hit!?"_ Slowly, I stood back up, "Tails, listen I-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

That was when my heart officially broke in half. "Okay…I'm sorry. Miles let me explain. I don't want to stop seeing you. Maybe I can visit every once in a while… What do you think?"

Miles glared at me, breathing heavily. "No."

"Oh come on Miles. I can visit every month or so, if you'd like."

"Let me put it this way," Miles narrowed his eyes and took three steps toward me; "I _never_ want to see you again. _Never Ever_."

I closed my eyes and tried to shove the wave of emotions that were threatening to break through. "O-okay, Miles. W-whatever y-you want."

"Just stop it. Stop it now."

"Stop what?"

"Stop acting like you're my friend! Like You're On My Side! LIKE YOU ACTUALLY CARE!"

I was really tempted to start yelling back at him, but held it in. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but that is anything but the truth. I really do care about you."

"Then why are you leaving me here?!" Tails spread his arms out towards the town. "Why are you leaving me here Maurice?"

Now we were both using real names. I wanted to just throw my arms around the kid and tell him, 'I changed my mind, I'm staying and so are you!' But as soon as he said Maurice, my mind flashed back to that dreaded night…

"It's for the best…trust me."

The fox just glared at me. Suddenly, he pulled off his communicator and threw it on the ground. The device shattered on impact. Miles looked at the broken devices then back up at me. _"I Hate You."_ Then he whirled around and ran as fast as he could down the hill towards the town. Two seconds later, I lost sight of the fox in the brush.

 _Song: My Wish_

 _Artist: Rascal Flatts_

That was when my heart shattered. I dropped to my knees and started crying. After a few minutes I just started babbling to an invisible Tails.

"I'm leaving you here, because I can't lose you. I already watched my parent's die and my siblings and uncle burn…I can't stand to see you get hurt. I never wanted to hurt you like this…you just wouldn't let me explain. I wanted to tell you; I do care about you Tails, I really do. This is why I'm doing this, to get you as far away from Robotnik as possible. He won't be able to find you here, because this town is so big and near a government building, meaning tighter security to crack. Robotnik doesn't come to places like this… Oh Tails, I don't want to leave you, just abandon you like this. You've brightened my life so much…like a flashlight clicking on in the darkest cave. If I did what I thought was best for me, I'd keep you right next to me at all times…but that's not me. I care about you more than my well-being. I'm sorry I've hurt you mentally and I'm sorry you think I don't want you, but maybe it's better for you to think that right now. It will help discourage you from trying to leave…but at the same time, I'm so sorry that you have to go through this."

"I hope one day you realize why I had you stay here. Maybe we can be friends again… But if you never forgive me, I won't blame you. If you become a multi-billionaire and you hunt the whole planet for me just to rub it in my face, I will hug you tight and say, 'You showed me. I'm so proud.' You do that Tails…you do just that…"

I buried my face in my head in my knees.

"And you know, no matter how much I will try and say I did the right thing, I'm going to have nightmares about this night. I'm going to wake up crying or yelling at you to come back… You'll always haunt me… I hope that makes you happy. Because, I totally deserve it. I totally crushed your spirits and I just- I just want you to know that no matter what happens to you, I'll always be silently cheering you. You keep tinkering…don't you quit. If some idiot tells you to stop, punch them in the face and don't apologize. Keep at it until you're better than Robotnik. Just don't destroy the world please…I don't think I could fight you. Keep flying above the trees, even if people think you're a freak. You're a special kid, and don't you ever forget it. I'll be watching the papers and waiting for the day you're in the headlines…because it's going to happen. And if it doesn't, then the press is looking in the wrong places."

Pretty sure that was when I broke down. Tears just started spilling down my cheeks.

" _I hate you…"_

I looked up at the town, "I hate me too Tails…I really do." I collapsed on the ground and sobbed until I fell asleep.

Don't think I've cried that bad since the day my family died…and in a way, it died that day too.

 **Did you cry? Because I cried so stinking bad… Review!**

 **DW: Poor Tails…**

 **Nicole: Why do you do this to your characters? First me, now this.**

 **Me: Not now Nikki.**

 **DW: This is nothing to what I do to my couples.**

 **Me: Oooh, let's not talk about that right now.**


	14. Vanilla, Cream, or Cheese?

**Hi again! Comments on Reviews!**

 **Quantum27: Thank you! I do agree that Sonic would do that, and I loved that scene in Sonic Colors. As for Sonic Boom… I mostly liked it, but yes, they completely destroyed Knuckles and it was pretty bad at random points (I mean, what was with Shadow randomly showing up in Rise of Lyric?) I love non-obsessive Amy! And I love long reviews!**

 **karygarcia21: Thanks for the review!**

 **GlowingGem: I will do my best to fix this sticky situation… Thanks!**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: I take it you didn't see that coming… (;**

 **Autumn: Thank you! Once again, I really thought I messed up that scene but the fact that you liked it makes me happy! And don't worry, I'm still alive. Thanks for the reminder!**

 **CJS51703: Hello new person! Yes, I do listen to those songs as I write, but I usually choose a song that will show what happens during the story and listen to it as I'm typing, not the other way around. I love music and I think it can have very big impressions on your feelings. Thanks for the cookie! *eats free cookie***

 **juancastri11: I will not quit on this story, don't worry. Thank you for telling me, I hate it when people do that too! (Although I might end up doing that on another one of my stories… I'm such a hypocrite.) Thank you for reviewing! I'm so glad you like it and I hope you continue to read it!**

 **Guest: You are not annoying me, don't worry. And I will not leave you hanging, promise.**

 **QUESTION TO ALL READERS:** **Do you like knowing whose POV the chapter starts with or would you rather figure it out yourself? I personally think it helps show character development (e.g.- notice when Miles POV changed to Tails POV, and now it's back to Miles POV.), but I know some people don't like it. What do y'all think?**

 **Okay, I'm so sorry I had to end it there, but all of this junk came up and I'm NOT going into it. So to make it up, I made an extra long chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **And…Action!**

Miles POV:

I hurt all over.

My head felt like it was being whacked with a hammer every ten seconds, my whole body felt like jello and it hurt to breath, as if my chest had been crushed ever so slightly. My two tails… appendages hurt like crazy and I was covered in small cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

But all of those injuries compared nothing to my heart, which felt as though it had been shattered into a million pieces, never to be put back together.

Just when I thought everything was going to get better, when I believed I actually had a friend who cared about me like family, he drops me off in a village I've never even heard of before.

In truth, I ran after yelling to hide the tears that were threatening to break loose. When I thought I was far enough away from that hedgehog, I curled up in a ball and cried until my head couldn't take it anymore. Pretty sure I passed out after that...and I'm not sure how long I laid there. A few times I woke up, but I refused to open my eyes or move. I just wanted to die, right there on the ground. I didn't care if it was hunger, cold, or if some wild animal came. Never in my whole life did I want it to end so badly.

Sure there was that time, right before Sonic found me, but that was nothing compared to this. I had been lifted up to my highest point, and then that...jerk, threw me into the ground ten times harder.

I'm absolutely positive I would have died in that forest, and no one would have cared.

* * *

Something woke me from my painful sleep. A sound that didn't fit the forest noises that I had grown accustomed too and ignored thoroughly. It was soft...and sounded really far away.

I vaguely felt something tap me, but was too weak to move at this point. The noise returned, but I had no idea what it was. I just wished it would leave me alone.

Another sound entered my ears, but this one sounded a little softer, almost like a bell. It jingled around, until yet another noise stopped it, this one a little louder, but smooth.

I felt something pick me up, then fell back into unconsciousness.

* * *

The noises returned. I moaned slightly wishing them to stop, wanting to just sleep into non-existence. Something gently stroked through my hair, and the smooth sound started again. I think that's when I realized it was a voice… I blacked out again.

* * *

When the voices returned again, I wanted them to quit talking. Couldn't they just let me die in peace? I made out a few words, but most of it was just vague sounds. Mostly I just heard, 'dear,' or 'hush.' I managed to roll over and press my ears back against my head, trying to block out the sound.

* * *

"Mommy...is he awake yet?" The first voice I'd heard had returned. Soft, but very young.

" _I am now,"_ I thought annoyed. When I tried to speak up, I couldn't move. My eyes seemed too heavy to open. I gave up the attempt and decided to just listen.

"Not yet dear…" said the smoother voice.

The jingling sound returned again. At first I thought my ears were still not not working properly, but then realized it was actually a word over and over again.

" _ **Chao**_ , _chao_ , chao, **chao**."

"Can we Mother? Please?"

"Alright Cream, just try not to wake the boy."

I felt myself being lifted up to a slanted sitting position and a hand gently open my mouth and force feed me something warm.

"Hi, I'm Cream. I a friend…"

My brain was struggling to understand what was going on. Eventually, I just decided to pass out again.

* * *

The next time I woke up, I had enough. I needed to know what was going on. At first, the light blinded me and I had to squeeze my eyes back shut. But slowly, yet surely, I opened them all the way. The view was nothing like I expected.

I was laying in a bed in a small bedroom. The bedroom itself was painted light pink, and was decorated with butterflies and flowers. A small dresser, that was painted white with flowers, was under a small window. Sunlight streamed through the window lighting up the room. A few dolls were on the ground, but for the most part it was spotless. No one else was in the room.

Very slowly and very painfully I sat up in the bed, positioning the pillow to try and make it more comfortable. After catching my breath, I tried to recall what had happened.

Then it all came crashing back down on me. Sonic...The blue hedgehog had sent me away. I buried my head in my knees, wishing I had died. I felt the tears threatening to return, but managed to hold them in. It's a good thing too, because I heard the door open, and looked up to see a small rabbit come in.

She stared at me in shock. The little girl was wearing a little orange dress with a white collar with something that looked like a blue bandana around her neck. She had on white gloves and orange and yellow shoes. Around her neck was a little gold locket. She appeared to be about 4 years old.

Behind her, a little blue and yellow thing with a red bow tie flew in. And I mean, it literally flew into the room, on these little pink wings. As soon as the strange thing saw me, it started making that strange, 'choa' noise very loudly.

I turned my attention back to the rabbit. She turned around and called out, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! He awake! He awake!"

Then another rabbit came running into the room. This one appeared to be in her twenties and was wearing a rather old fashion dress. Light purple with a red top and a white collar, also with an orange tie thing. "Thank you Cream. How about you go get our guest some water, okay?"

Cream...apparently...ran out of the room with the blue thing close behind.

The remaining rabbit smiled warmly at me and sat down at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"...Alright," I managed to croak. My voice sounded raspy and was barely above a whisper.

She smiled, "Don't say anything until my daughter brings you some water. My name is Vanilla...and you already met Cream."

Cream arrived at that moment and smiled at me, giving a little curtsy. "Hi." She handed the water to her Mother, who put it in my hands. The strange blue thing hovered next to her.

After attempting to drink out of it three times, and failing miserably each time by spilling water everywhere, Vanilla helped me drink out of the cup.

I drained it in a matter of seconds. Up 'til then, I didn't realized how thirsty I was. "Thank...thanks." My voice sounded a little better, but it was still a little shaky.

Vanilla smiled, "What's your name dear?"

"Ta- … Miles. I'm Miles Prower." I looked down at the empty cup in my hands, wishing to vanish into thin air.

"Nice to meet you Miles."

The blue dot flew over to me and took the cup away. I stared at it then asked rather timidly, "What is that?"

Cream smiled. "That's Cheese, my Chao."

As Cheese did a little bow to me, I vaguely recalled reading about Chao's… But I couldn't remember exactly what they were.

"Now you two go on. You can visit Miles later, but he needs to rest." Vanilla shooed the two out of the room. She helped me lay back down and pulled up the blanket on the bed. "And you need to rest. You are very tired…"

Come to think of it, I really did feel exhausted. I rolled on my side and closed my eyes. "Thanks Mrs. Vanilla…"

"You're very welcome Miles. Now sleep."

I obeyed.

* * *

I grew stronger every day, but it still hurt on the inside. I didn't tell that to anyone though, not even little Cream. Sometimes I would sleep all day, but on occasion Vanilla would help me up and walk me around the house, making sure I didn't feel trapped.

One thing I will not complain about was the food. These two rabbits were the best cooks I had ever met, and the kindest. But even with all of the generosity, I promised myself that I wouldn't stay here longer than necessary. I didn't want another heartbreak.

I'm grateful I stayed that long...because I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't.

* * *

 _Song: Toy Guns_

 _Artist: Carrie Underwood_

"I DON'T CARE!"

I bolted up in bed in shock, trying to figure out who was yelling. My brain immediately switched to fight or flight mode, and I tried to force myself to calm down.

"James, you'll wake the boy. Shhh…"

"I SAID I DON'T CARE!"

Cream ran into the room with Cheese close behind. She shut the door and pressed against it, gripping the little locket around her neck.

The little chao gripped the little girl tightly.

"James! Honestly! He's just a boy!"

"I don't want a two-tailed freak fox in my house! Get him out!"

Based on Cream's reaction and Vanilla's yelling, I determined that the husband of the house had come home...then again, I couldn't recall meeting him, but pictures in the home told me he existed. I felt my insides start to boil in anger. I was getting tired of people calling me a freak and I was done. But I was getting more angry about the yelling. I had been yelling with the horrible hedgehog, I had yelled with my father, I didn't need more fighting in my life. But with Cream in the room, I decided to push down the frustration and try and keep her calm.

"He's been here for almost two weeks! You just can't throw him out! And he is not a freak!"

A heard a smack, and Vanilla cried out in pain slightly.

Very painfully, I got out of bed and stumbled over to Cream. The little rabbit pressed her hands over her ears, trying to shut out the fighting, silent tears streaming down her face. Gently, I took her and held her tight. "Don't cry Cream...It's okay."

"GET HIM OUT! I NEVER SAID YOU COULD LET HIM IN!"

"You haven't been here for a month! I didn't know when you would be back!"

Cream buried her face in one of my tails. "Stop...please stop…"

I led her over to the bed, trying not to show my growing anger.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Another smack was heard and Vanilla gave another cry of pain.

Cheese and Cream huddled even closer together. I pushed her gently onto the bed and pulled the covers up over her head. "Don't worry Cream… Don't cry…"

"GET. *smack* HIM. *smack* OUT. *smack*."

As Cream continued to cry, my mind flashed back to the day my Father shoved me out of the house...three years old with no place to go.

"James! Please stop!"

*SMACK*

My anger snapped. "Cream...stay here. And do me a small favor…"

The rabbit poked her head out of the covers.

"Cover your ears tight."

I walked over to the door and poked my head out, pushing off the pain and exhaustion.

Vanilla was huddled in a corner, her arms up over her head in a helpless gesture of self-protection. A larger rabbit, who had a little darker fur than Vanilla and clothes looked very pretentious...whatever that meant. His face was a mask of fury.

Vanilla looked up, tears in her eyes, "Please James, he's just a boy…"

The rabbit smacked her again. "I don't care if he's the President! Get Him OUT!" Another smack and Vanilla was on the floor.

I ran over and put myself between the lady and the man, my arms spread out in a protective manner. "Leave her alone! If you wanted me to leave, then you should have let me know! Not hit your wife!"

James, apparently, scowled. "It's my business what I do in my house! And you don't belong here! Now get out!" He made to grab me, but I jumped out of his grasps.

"What are you going to do to her when I leave?"

"None of you concern Freak!" The man picked up a small glass figurine and threw it at me. I ducked behind a couch as it shattered against the wall.

Vanilla cried out in terror as I ran into the next room, her husband close behind. I climbed up on a couch and faced the man, scowling. "My Father used to beat my sister… Then when she died, he beat me, then threw me out."

James lunged towards me, but I whisked my tails and flew over him. I hit the ground in a somersault and rolled to a standing position. Behind me, the rabbit shook himself and got up.

"Well I would have done the same thing you little freak! What kind of fox can fly?!"

"What kind of Father scares and beats his own family?" I ran into the kitchen. James followed close behind.

Once in the room, I climbed up on the counters and then the fridge. _'Why is their ceiling so high in here?'_ I stood up and glared at the man. "Well?"

James opened a kitchen drawer and pulled out a bunch of metal forks. "How's this for my answer?" He began to throw the forks at me. I yelped and dove off the fridge, ducking behind a counter just as three forks wisped past me.

I pressed myself against the wood, as the sound of James rummaging through the drawers filled my ears. _'If I was an insane Father and I wanted to hurt a kid and I'm in a kitchen what would I be looking for? Oh Chaos…'_

Slowly, I poked my head around just to see James smirk and pull out one of the sharp knives. I hid back behind the counter. _'Well, I'm dead…'_

Back in the house, I heard Vanilla yelling at her husband not to hurt me. Yeah, like that was going to help. I heard the man's footsteps approach.

' _I got one shot...I hope this works.'_

Just before James rounded the corner, I dove out from behind, knocking his legs out from under him. The knife clattered out of his hands, but not before cutting my arm pretty deep. ' _Why do I always get hurt?'_

While James was trying to get back up, I picked up the knife and threw it in the garbage can then dashed out of the room back to where I had left Vanilla.

The nice rabbit was standing in front of Cream's bedroom protectively. As soon as she saw me, she motioned for me to go back in the room. I gave a sad smile and shook my head.

"Sorry Mrs. Vanilla, but I'm not leaving you here alone with _him_ ," I jerked my thumb towards the kitchen.

She didn't get time to argue. James burst into the room, his face showing his fury. He glared at me.

"I'm...going...to...kill...you…" He growled softly.

Without waiting for another word, I knelt down on the ground and picked up another glass figurine that had fallen during the previous ruckus. I threw it at the man.

I guess James was used to doing the throwing...not being thrown at. The figurine hit him square in the forehead, shattering on impact. The rabbit fell to the ground unconscious without so much as a whimper.

No one moved for a minute. To be honest, I didn't actually think it would hit him...but man, that had had to have hurt! And let's be honest, he really did deserve it.

Vanilla walked over to me and put her hands on my shoulders. "I-I never w-would have s-seen you capable o-of d-doing that…"

I looked up at her, "Neither did I." And that's when I passed out again.

* * *

I came to the next day in the late afternoon, back in Cream's bedroom. Cream was sitting at the edge of the bed, staring at her locket, which was open.

"Hey Cream…"

The little girl yelped and fell of the bed in surprise. She stood up quickly and brushed herself of. "Sorry Mr. Miles...I did not know you are awake."

Vanilla poked her head in and smiled when she saw me. "Miles, I'm so glad you're up. Are you hungry?"

"Yes Ma'am." Nervously I played with my tails, "You aren't...mad? Are you?"

"Now dear Miles, why would I be mad at you? I've been wanting to knock my husband out for a long time...but I'm not that kind of person." She walked over and placed a grilled cheese sandwich and carrot sticks in front of me.

After a few bites, I looked back at the rabbit. "What's going to happen to him?"

"Oh, he left the hospital this morning. I got a message from him saying to leave his stuff out on the front porch. He just was here, picking up his junk." Vanilla said it in such a casual way, that I was almost convinced she was fine about the whole thing. But one look in her eyes told me otherwise.

"I'm very sorry for ruining your marriage…"

Vanilla took my hands. "Miles, it was already ruined. We've been fighting for sometime… It was only the matter of who broke first." Her eyes went misty. "I'll leave you two here to eat lunch, then perhaps Cream can take you out to the garden. I'm sure that will make you feel remarkably better, okay?"

Cream promised her mother that she would take me, then Vanilla left.

The two of us sat in the room in silence. Cheese fluttered around, but seemed to sense that we were sad and stayed quiet. Finally, Cream held up a small cupcake. "Hungry?"

I took it out of her hands, "What flavor?"

"Vanilla with Cream Cheese frosting."

I smiled at the irony of that. I took a small lick, "It's delicious Cream, thank you!"

The bunny smiled. "I glad you like it." She hopped up, "Ready to play?"

I nodded and followed her out to the backyard.

The garden itself was pretty small, but very peaceful. Cream liked to dance like a little ballerina in the small flower section. I just sat and watched her, smiling when ever she looked at me.

The pain of the hedgehog leaving was healing ever so slightly, but I knew it would never be whole again. I pushed that thought out of my head, and attempted to have fun with my new friend. I kept a smile on for her, but on the inside I felt as if I was already dead.

* * *

Sonic's POV:

"Get back here Robotnik!" I zipped after the so called Doctor.

He wasn't interested in getting caught today, "Robots! Get him!"

I ducked a missle and ran up a tree to get a better look at the approaching forces. There was only about ten. "What happened to your 'so-called arm'?"

"What happened is you blew them all up! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you to deal with my bot's while I deal with my own business!" Robotnik flew out of sight in his ridiculous orb.

I rolled my eyes and smirk, spin-dashing into the bot's without really thinking about it. It gave me time to reflect the past two weeks.

After waking up on that hill above Johnsontown again, I tried to ignore the heartache and left the area. Two day's later I ended up at a small village that Robotnik was already attack. He could work fast when he wanted to. It had been almost two weeks since I got a proper rest, and my stomach was starving. I had forgotten to eat lunch today because of the stinking robot's that flew in a different village where I had been resting. All of the attacks had been with the small robots that didn't do a lot of damage, but they were rather annoying…

So you can imagine my surprise as I was running through the past when a giant robot appeared out of the forest.

"Chaos!" I yelped as I barely dodged the punch. I took in the new robot...and to be honest this one was worse than the last.

It looked like it had been finished in a rush (which it probably had). Some of the armor hadn't been screwed on all the way and the hinges were twisted and squeaked loudly.

I stood up and crossed my arms, appearing to inspect it. "I give it a 2 out of 10 for poor quality and construction."

That seemed to make the robot mad. It charged at me like a bull...a very clumsy bull. I jumped up as the bot dove to the ground in a very awkward angle. With a simple spin dash through the chest, the robot's glowing eyes died.

Landing on the robot's fist, that was pointed to the sky, I shook my head. "He really doesn't make you guys like he used to… Well it's been fun, but I got to-WHOA!"

That last part was because apparently, the robot's fist was one of those lame rocket punches that can only be used once...and the sparking wires must have allowed it to go off. I almost fell off the dumb thing, but instinctively grabbed onto the hand. Next thing I knew i was cruising through the sky...and didn't know when I'd stop.

Not sure how long I flew, it could have been a few minutes, or just a few seconds, but the last thing I saw was solid ground before I blacked out.

 **Did any of you notice that if you add an 's' to the word Chao, it says Chaos? That's just weird… Although it makes sense now that I think about it. I hope you liked my theory about Cream's Dad. I knew that he either died or left them, and since I wanted a dramatic scene showing another side of Miles personality, I went with left them...really depressing I know, but if you haven't noticed: This isn't a happy story so far. Wow, I depressed myself out… Comments always welcome!**


	15. It's a Chaos Cursed Floating Island

**I am so sorry this took so long, but I had internet issues. Last chapter was a bad one...it really was. I don't care what y'all say, but wow, it was bad. I just was trying to speed up the plot line and it turned into this rushed train of information. So let's take this a little slower and make it seem a lot more flowing...and not that horrible rushed stuff. Ugh...**

 **Comments on Reviews:**

 **Autumn: Thank you for saying that. I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story. And thanks for answering my question.**

 **Meadow of Sparkling Starlight: Hi! I'm happy to see you again! I'm glad you are enjoying the story and hope you continue to do so.**

 **Quantum27: I agree that I prefer Cream's father dying, but I decided that Miles need a reason to actually get up. I did like the humor as well, some of the jokes made me almost die (then again, I laugh at almost anything.)**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Thanks! I wanted him to get punched in the face…**

 **juancastri11: For English not being your first language, I'm impressed. I know it's one of the harder languages to learn. Gracias por la crítica! (Did I say that right…?)**

 **haloessence111: I don't know. Why does everyone have an issue with Mile's second tail? And he wasn't trying to kill him. Hurt him severely, yes, but kill him? No.**

 **Anna779: True. I just never noticed that till I tried to make Chao possessive and went, 'wait just a second.' Thanks! *blushes from praise***

 **Lady Sticks: ….Not sure if you read past the first chapter, but I still have to comment. I have no idea what you're talking about… And Manic has severe asthma, so of course he's weakish.**

 **Okay, now that that's done, I'm hoping you all enjoy this next chapter. Let's go see where Sonic crashed. (Although you all probably know from the chapter title)**

 _ **Suggested Song: Just Like You- By Three Days Grace**_ **(warning, it's a little heavier rock, but I thought it was perfect for this chapter…)**

Sonic's POV:

I've had some bad falls/crashes (most of them my fault). But that one fell in the top ten…

"Ugh…." I stood up rather groggily and tried to see straight, but only managed to fall back on the ground. "Note to self;" I mumbled to the ground, "No more jumping on Robot arms...it always leads to disaster."

I pushed myself up again and walked over to the edge of the cliff where I had landed and looked out across the ocean. "Well at least it's a nice view…" Over the past few weeks I had gotten in the habit of talking to myself...or in the perspective of my head my head, an invisible Tails. I pushed that thought out of my head. Never a good thing to focus on the bad. Focus on the good.

I jogged in place for a moment then took off running along the cliff. Hopefully at one point I would get down.

After five minutes of running at a pretty good speed, I paused and stared at an old log. "Okay...I'm pretty sure that's the same log I passed a minute ago…" I looked around and picked up a pretty strange rock and put it on the log. I brushed my hands off then took of running as fast as i could.

About ten seconds later I screeched to a halt in front of the log I had started at. "Yep...definitely the same log."

I cautiously laid down on the edge of the cliff and peered over the side. I just stared at the sight for a few minutes then stood up and looked across the ocean, my face unreadable. Finally, I sighed, "It's a Chaos Cursed Floating Island…...I'm on a flying island. Why not? My life as already seen flying foxes! Why not an island?" I kicked a rock off the edge in frustration. I vaguely remembered my Mother telling me legends about a mystical floating island with angels floating about it...or I think that's what it was. Maybe it was just called Angel Island? It didn't matter anyway, it's just a legend...right? "Why is it always me?" I stretched my face with my hands groaning. "How am I supposed to get off this island!"

"Well you could just jump, or ask me to shove you off."

I whirled around at the new voice. "Who- Yeep!" I ducked from a punch and somersaulted to the right. "Well that wasn't very nice," I scolded the stranger.

Now that I was out of punching distance for a moment, I examined the new person. He appeared to be a red echidna with some sort of white boomerang fur pattern on his chest. I felt a vague sense of Deja vu. "Do I know you?"

The echidna frowned and held up his fists. "No, and I don't want to. Get off my island!" He charged at me again.

I flipped backwards out of his reach again, "Look dude, I don't want to hurt you…"

Red lunged at me, and knocked me back about ten feet.

I stood up rubbing my head, "Okay, now I'm mad…" I ran towards the echidna, flipped up and spin dashed into him.

Whatever I was expecting, it definitely wasn't this. The stranger held up his fists in a blocking position and pushed me back. "And now I'm mad…" Red growled as he charged at me.

Okay, the rest of the fight was really a blur...and when I mean a blur, I mean it. I felt like the two of us were fighting on another layer of reality. Throughout the whole fight, the scenery and my vision were hazing due to my speed, and yet the stranger continued to hold his own.

Both of us lost track of time before I knew it, the sun was starting to go down. Yet we both kept fighting, trying to push the other down in the ground.

When both of us finally stood about ten feet away from each other, panting and sweating like a horse after a long run, I held up a time out sign. "Okay Red… How about… we take… a break…" I panted.

The echidna only grunted and leaned against a tree.

At this point, our fighting took us all over the island and we were standing in a clearing in the dark woods.

I chose a tree facing him and sat down. "Ugh… What do you do all day?" I stretched out my legs trying to relieve the already cramping muscles.

"I was about to ask you the same thing stranger...haven't faced an opponent who could hold out against me in a long time."

"Same, although I don't think I've ever met an opponent who could actually hold their own against me." I looked up at the echidna. He looked to be about my age, maybe a little older. His fists certainly looked like they punched all day long. "You got a name Red?"

"Yes." The echidna glared at me.

I waited a few minutes in silence then sighed, "Are you going to tell me it?"

"Probably not."

"Well why not?"

"Because we're resting, not chatting, hedgehog."

"Well I'd like to know who I'm fighting and why I'm fighting them." I stood up and began stretching again, making sure that my legs didn't fall asleep on me.

"Let's put it this way, I'm the guard; you're the intruder; I chase you off. Got it?"

I spread my arms out in a gesture of defeat. "Fine Mr. Grumpy. Could you tell me why you want to be alone so badly?"

"No." The echidna shook his head and stepped away from the tree. He knelt in a ready position, "Ready hedgehog?"

"You bet," I smirked and we charged at each other again.

And had the same result as last time.

This time, the Echidna called break.

We both sat down against a large boulder (once again we had traveled around the island, this time stopping near the edge overlooking the sea) and attempted to relax. By this point, the sun had set and the moon was high in the sky, lighting up the island.

I looked across the water and allowed a small smile. "I will say this; you got some great views up here Red."

"...You should see the sun rises. Best scenery on the island." The Echidna frowned slightly, "Would you stop doing that?!"

"Doing what?" I smirked.

"Oh forget it."

We waited about ten more minutes and then began fighting again.

I'd like to say that was the last time, but unfortunately it wasn't. In fact the fighting commenced through the night. We took a few breaks and drank some water, but most of the time the two of us were jumping all over the island trying to pin the other to the ground.

Probably around six in the morning we took another break on the edge. The sun slowly crept up over the horizon, painting the sky with colorful hues.

I sighed softly, "You're right Red, best view I've ever seen…"

The Echidna didn't say anything.

"Haven't seen anything like that since my Dad took me camping. He dragged me up around four in the morning just to see the sun rise." My brain felt a jolt of confusion. _"Why on earth did I just say that? No talking about your past to complete strangers!"_

Red looked at me with a blank face, "Only four? You haven't gotten up at 2:30 in the morning for training."

"You're kidding… Who wakes up at two in the morning?"

"I do...well on Wednesday's at least." He gave a small smile. "I wasn't excited about it, but my Father insisted. I've gotten used to it...most of my sleeping time is during the day anyway."

"You sleep during the day? Sure why not?" I shrugged and stared at the water again.

Red smile grew just a tad more, "It's not that bad. The sun keeps you warm."

"Don't you get sunburned?"

"You're kidding right? I'm red…"

"Oh right, duh. I'm an idiot sometimes."

Softly, the stranger chuckled, "I noticed." Suddenly he tensed up and glared at me. "Stop doing that!"

"Doing what?"

"Being all friendly like! We're fighting, remember?!" He growled.

I shrugged, "Although what we're fighting about is beyond me. I'd prefer if we just talked. Besides, I don't know about you, but my energy levels are really low, even with these breaks. So what do you say? Truce?" I held out my hand in a gesture of goodwill.

The echidna hesitated, then set his jaw in a firm line. "Truce...for now." We shook hands.

I pulled away and shook my hand, "Chaos, that's a firm handshake… Ow…"

"Eh...I could have crushed your hand if you'd like."

"...I think I'm good Red. I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog." I stood up and made a small bow to the echidna. "And you are…?"

Once again, he hesitated, then shrugged slightly, "Knuckles the Echidna. Guardian of Angel Island."

I frowned slightly, "Angel Island? I thought that was just a legend."

"You're standing on it hedgehog."

I looked down at the ground and smirked, "Well points for my Mother than… She used to tell me stories, although I never payed much attention. My sister was more into it." I frowned, "Why do I keep doing that?!" I asked aloud, annoyed with myself.

"Doing what?"

"Just...nothing…" I mumbled.

Knuckles smiled slightly. "Those legends aren't pretty accurate… They make this place sound like this is where angel's live. It's where echidna's live, not angels."

"I noticed," I looked around, "So there are more of you here?"

The echidna's smile faded. "No, just me."

"But you said-"

"Shut up Hedgehog." He growled.

"Okay." After a few moments of silence, I sighed. "Sorry, but how about you tell me why you're trying to chase me off this lovely little place."

"...No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I don't want to you idiot!"

"Well there's no need to get snippy about it." I folded my arms and started walking along the outer edge of the island. "I was just curious what could be so important to throw me into the big blue ocean."

"You know I can still do that if you annoy me." There was a dangerous undertone to that threat and I decided it might be good to stay quiet for a while.

Slowly, the two of us continued to walk around the island, neither saying a word. After two laps around the whole thing and the sun was in full view, Knuckles finally spoke up.

"How did you even get up here?"

"I got rocketed up on a giant robot arm after defeating the said robot."

"I'm serious hedgehog."

"So am I."

"You're kidding."

"Nope! Welcome to my life." I smirked. "And that's not even the weirdest thing that's happened to me."

Knuckles just stared at me for a few minutes. "Who did you say you were again?"

"Sonic the Hedgehog."

He frowned slightly. "Never heard of you...then again, I never hear of anyone."

"You should get out more."

"Can't, my Father took the only plane we had off this rock three years ago. Never came back." He said it with such bitterness I wondered if this red head actually enjoyed being alone.

"Sorry… I'm sure he has an excuse."

"Yeah? Like what?"

I looked across the ocean and hesitated. Finally, I shrugged. _"Told him a lot already, what's one more?"_ "My Dad left my family for two years. He came back to warn my family to get out of the area. Turns out that my Father had been rescuing people from burning and terrorized villages all over the southern lands. There was this maniac man who was trying to take the whole place over and my Dad slowed him down."

Knuckles remained silent.

"He came back to warn us that the maniac had found out about us. We got out real quick." I paused and composed myself, preventing the sorrow from showing.

"You're Dad just left you to be a hero to some strangers? Some Father."

I smiled, "You didn't know him. When someone needed help, he helped no matter who they were or what they had done. He just lended a hand… Something I hope I do every day."

"Yeah," Knuckles crossed his arms, "but he left you and your family behind. He just abandoned you when you needed him."

Softly, I sighed, getting a little annoyed that he was missing the point. "He saved others for us. If Robotnik had continued south he would have eventually hit my home. So in a way, he was helping everyone, including those who never knew about him."

The Echidna was silent for several minutes again. He wasn't much of a talker, I had noticed. Finally, "My Dad always told me that I was gifted. That gift was given for a reason, but I never really got what he was saying until he vanished. All of the training and lessons were meant to help me become a better guardian. I just wish I had seen that sooner."

Something about that speech rang a bell and I scratched my head thoughtfully. Red Echidna… Knuckles… Gift… I almost heard a light bulb flip on in my head. I did a facepalm, "I'm an idiot!"

"What?" Knuckles looked really confused.

I pointed at him, "You're Dad… Was his name Locke?"

As soon as Knuckles recovered from his shock, "How do you know my Dad?" He demanded with a hard tone.

Once again, I had another Deja vu moment. Suppressing a smile, I replied, "He gave me thirty bucks when I was still an orphan begging on the corner. He told me something really similar to what you just said."

"...That sounds like him."

"Now I remember, he mentioned you. Pretty sure he compared the two of us to each other."

Knuckles narrowed his eyes, "We are nothing alike."

"Definitely, I'm just saying what he said." I smirked at him.

Hesitantly, the echidna finally asked, "When did you see him?"

"Um...I think it was about four years ago? My memory is sort of fuzzy…" I rubbed the back of my head as Knuckles face fell.

"Oh Chaos curse it all!" He punched a nearby rock, leaving a small dent in it. Subconsciously, I took a step away.

"Chill Knuck's! He probably has a good reason!" I shook my head slowly. This guy had a temper problem that needed resolving. "Relax…"

Knuckles just glared at me. "I'm starting to want to start fighting you again."

"Be my guest, because I'm done fighting you. If you want to dump me of this stupid island, be my guest."

A low growl began to rise in the echidna's throat.

I continued hurriedly. "Just know this. I can't swim." Very slowly, I turned away from him and looked over the edge. It was a long way down...and a very deep ocean.

"You can't swim? Why, did your parents refuse to teach you?"

"They sort of died before they could." I replied coldly.

Silence filled the air again. I heard retreating footsteps and when I turned back around, the Echidna was gone.

I sighed in frustration and looked back over the ocean. By this point the sun was high in the sky so I guessed it must be about eleven in the morning. "Well I'm stuck on an island with no way to get back… Now what am I supposed to do about that?" In my head I could almost hear Tails tell me that he'd just fly us away, or build some genius glider device.

Again, I sighed, but this time it sounded more depressed than anything. "Whoa, Sonic. You made the decision. It was the best thing for him." "Then why do you wish you hadn't done it?" "Oh shut up me."

I looked out across the horizon again. "Wherever you are Tails, I hope you're enjoying yourself more than I am…"

 **Done! That chapter took longer to type than it should have… So once again, it's longer than normal. 3,000+ words and nine pages on Google Docs! I hope you liked the old Knucklehead. While typing this up I realized how much Sonic and Knuckles are alike...well sort of. Do you see it?**

 **Thanks for your patients (I don't think that is right... Is there another way to spell patients…? Okay, I just confused myself) and I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **I think for a little while we're going to flip back and forth between Miles and Sonic for each chapter, so next chapter we'll get to see Miles with Vanilla again. And how depressed he is…. I did not originally plan for this story to be so depressing! I swear! I'm making myself sad!**

 **Also, quick question: So I've decided to keep this story focused on Tails and Sonic's brotherly relationship, because so many of you said that's what you wanted.**

 **Thanks for the feedback by the way.**

 **When the two of them actually get back together and start fighting crime, do you want me to stop it there, or continue going? And if it's the continue going option, should I show how I think Amy and Knuckles joined up with them (and maybe come in contact with other characters)?**

 **If I do this I will point out that I WILL BE MAINLY FOCUSING ON TAILS AND SONIC. So even if Amy or Knuckles pops up, the story will still have the spotlight on the two brothers.**

 **(The main reason I'm asking this is because I came up with the funniest story of how Amy gets her hammer and joins up with Team Sonic. If you guys don't want me to do it here, then I'm posting it separately, because I don't think anyone has done it this way. It would be based off of this story, just for your information.)**

 **That's all for now. Thanks for reading all that and reviews are always welcome!**


	16. Stargazing Dilemma

**Hey y'all! Really funny story with this chapter. I was going to end it after Tails leaves the house after the note (you'll find out what I'm talking about soon) but then realized that it was WAY shorter than I thought it would be. So the original chapter is longer than planned. You're welcome! Comments:**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Ops… My bad! I missed that during my re-reading of the chapter before I posted it. And thank you! Not sure why I had so much trouble with that word. Also, thank you for answering my question! I will take it into consideration (Although, I'm thinking I'm going to post it separately just so we don't have two stories going at once.)**

 **Autumn: Hello my friend! Thanks for the review, and I will be continuing this story. So excited!**

 **GlowingGem: I will address your concerns in the post-Author's Notes. And yeah, Knuckles has issues. (;**

 **Meadow of Sparkling Starlight: To be honest, I was dying of laughter while typing it. Those two really do have a funny relationship.**

 **LibraGeek: Greetings and I'm so glad you are enjoying this! Also, thank you for telling me your opinion. The reason I ask is just to get opinions and that's what you sent. So thanks a ton!**

 **Quantum27: I am also rather wary of Knuckles and Sonic meeting… To be honest, those two are not going to get buddy-buddy in this story. Just because of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, I'm going to basically show that the two of them know each other, but they don't mind trying to kill the other. Makes it more interesting and still allows for the video game timeline. Also, I don't like reading 2nd Gen stories that much either. I can think of three that I have read off the top of my head. The only reason I really posted my 2nd Gen story is because I had this idea for over 2 years, shared it with a friend, and we came up with an extended version. Then, I decided to share it with others. I'm actually going to be discontinuing my 2nd Gen story writing to focus on 'Miles from Home' and sequels and side stories to it. As for Sonia and Manic returning, count on it. Wow, long Author note…**

 **Juancastri11: Yay! Spanish is paying off!**

 **Action!**

Miles POV:

Cream was attempting to get me out of the house...again. "Pwese Mr. Miwles! You need exerwise."

I smiled slightly at her pronunciation, but didn't answer.

It had been about a week since James had left the house...permanently. I had come to find out that he wasn't home most of the time, always at work. Usually he stopped by reluctantly once a month, but sometimes his family didn't see him for six months on end. No wonder they were falling apart.

Across the room, Vanilla sat in a rocking chair knitting a scarf and chuckling softly. She always found Cream and my conversation's amusing.

"Pwese Mr. Miwles!"

I looked down at my sketch pad and traced the almost finished biplane. "Cream, I want to finish this."

"But you said that wast time!" The little rabbit pouted.

Cheese flew over and started pulling on my ear, attempting to get me up. " _Chao_ , chao! _**Chao**_ , **chao** , _chao_!"

I forced a small smile and agreed to follow the rabbit.

While Cream was busy celebrating, Vanilla got up and went to the kitchen. She came back with a small picnic basket. "You don't mind if I come with you, do you?"

"You're always welcome Mother!" Cream skipped out the door with Cheese close behind. Vanilla smiled and followed the two out, motioning for me to come.

Slowly, I began to pack up my small backpack. I heard something go 'crunch' and stopped for a moment. Very gently, I pulled out the now broken helicopter model. "Chaos…" I cursed softly. I tried to remember even putting it in there, but nothing came up. I dumped my bag out on the couch.

Out fell my sketchpad, some scrap metal, my bi-plane model and...a single sheet of paper with 'Tails' on it.

 _Great...Maurice comes back to haunt me again._

After a small debate inside my head, I opened up the note and scanned it. When I finished, I read it again. And again. And again.

 _Tails,_

 _Just wanted to make sure you got your helicopter. Consider it a momentum of our time together. Thanks for saving my life. Not sure what happened during that fight with Robotnik, maybe he got a lucky shot or something, but I know I'd be dead if you hadn't stepped in. See you around._

 _Sonic_

I just stared at the paper for what seemed like ages trying to process what Maurice had been trying to tell me. And what was that part about saving his life? Suddenly, my trail of thought was interrupted.

"Miles! Are you coming?"

I shook myself awake, and folded the paper, tucking it in the side pocket. Quickly, I threw the remaining stuff into the pack and ran out the door. "Sorry Mrs. Vanilla, I dropped my bag." Which was technically true…

Vanilla smiled at me, "You're fine Miles, I was just getting a little worried. Come along." We started off down the road, but my thoughts were far away from everything else.

* * *

That night, I shot up in a small cot covered in a cold sweat, trying to hold in a scream.

After assuring myself that I hadn't woken up Cream, who was sleeping in her bed across the room, I quietly left the room.

The night sky was clear, with few clouds blocking the stars. I laid back on the front lawn, staring up at the scenery.

Lucy used to take me star gazing to avoid our Father's rages. She'd trace out the constellations, telling me their names and the story behind them. After she died and my Dad threw me out, I found a book in the library about navigation by the skies. It had been a really interesting read, and I had learned several new words and concepts.

With a small smile, I found the Ursa Major and recalled the funny tale about how the Great Bear ended up in the sky. It had something to do with someone grabbing it by the tail and throwing it up there, hence why the tail was so long… It may have been Zeus...or was it Hera? I shook my head slightly, it didn't matter much anyway.

Without meaning too, but thoughts wandered back to the note from Sonic. No, Maurice. Sonic was the said 'hero,' Maurice was the true boy underneath that disguise.

I sighed and traced out Cassiopeia, the woman who had been banished into the sky for bragging about her beauty. Chaos, she was an idiot…

Maurice had said that I saved his life...but I had no idea what he was talking about. Vaguely, I recalled that before our argument the hedgehog said that I had a concussion. I frowned slightly, _"A temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head...and can cause memory loss."_

Maybe I forgot…?

I shook the thoughts away. _"Woah Miles, let's not get into this drama again. Forget about that jerk and move on."_

Once again, I turned my thoughts back to the sky. I found Orion, the greek hero that befriended Artemis...and died by a the hand of a scorpion. Or was it Artemis herself…? Keeping these stories straight was rather difficult. There was too many family issues, heroes, and idiots to keep them all separate.

Idiots…

" _Miles! Get back here you freak!"_

" _Father, leave him alone!"_

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the nightmare. Just when I thought I had gotten over my past traumas, this decided to show up… Thanks a lot Maurice.

Okay, maybe I was being a little harsh towards the hedgehog, but could you blame me? What idiot just picks up a kid then drops him off after a month?

I breathed deeply, trying to shove down the building anger. I'd seen first-hand what anger could do to people...and I didn't want to be the cause of it.

Pretty sure I dozed off around that point. Vanilla found me in the morning and asked me what I'd been doing.

I simply told her that I couldn't sleep and decided to go stargazing. Which was true...I just left out the anger and Maurice issues.

 **Done! Review please!**

 _ **ATTENTION ALL READERS:**_

 **Hi again, it's me. Okay, so I got a review from someone with some concerns about sending me ideas and decided I need to address this now.**

 **I love getting plot ideas from my readers! Which is really strange, I know! But let me explain my madness.**

 **I love getting them, because it shows that you actually care about what I'm writing! When you say, "Hey, I think it would be really cool if you showed how upset Sonic was about leaving Tails if he refused to eat a chili dog!" (that was just something I came up with, not something someone actually sent in) then I will consider the idea and if I like it, I will do my best to throw it in my story! If you look at some of my older stories, you'll see that at one point I was accepting characters from the readers and putting them in! If it's small or large, a detail or a plot twist, I'll think you're amazing.**

 **HOWEVER: I have three conditions if you do this. I had issues last time and I don't want to deal with them again. Luckily, they're very simple and all under your control.**

 **1- If you do send me a request, and I say 'Sorry, I can't use it,' then I don't want you mad at me. Know that I promise I will take every idea and do my best to incorporate it, but sometimes it's just not possible. I don't want a giant hate mail review telling me what a jerk I am for not accepting your idea (it's happened). Also under this category is when you send me an idea, I will 99% of the time tweak it to fit the story. It will mostly be small changes, but sometimes I have to do some big changes. If I change it and you don't like what I did, let me know! If you want, I can redo it or change it again (but I'll only change it once. If you still don't like it then you'll either have to live with it, or I'll just take it out.).**

 **2- Keep it PG. Don't send me stuff like, "I want Sonic to become a Drug Dealer." (Okay, I've never gotten that, but I got something similar…)And if you don't think I'm serious, then don't be surprised if I say no to it.**

 **3- Don't go crazy. When I say this, I'm talking about a few things. One of them is don't send me a giant request list every single chapter. The more important one is, I'm fine with scene ideas (Sonic goes shopping), some conversations topics between characters (Vanilla asking Tails about his family), a setting for a certain chapter (Master Emerald shrine), or even a character (Bob the Dog- Chili Dog Vendor). But don't send me this GIANT plot twist (Like, 'The Black Arms suddenly invade and Shadow the Hedgehog kills Tails.' Seriously, what am I supposed to do with that?) that suddenly detours the story from the main plot line. Small plot twists? Fine. But ones that alter the course of history? Nope! I had problems with that in my last story.**

 **Any Questions, comments, or concerns just let me know.**

 **GlowingGem: I LOVE YOUR IDEA! In fact, I had to hold myself down to not put it in this chapter! And I will most likely be using it. Since I got your review, I've been going through the story, trying to make it fit. Almost got it!**


	17. Knucklehead Issues

**Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Well you never know when you may come up with something. (;**

 **Meadow of Sparkling Starlight: I love Cream! And star-gazing is one of my favorite relaxing things to do… So it seemed like a good idea with Miles. I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Autumn: Thanks for the reminder (no seriously, I completely forgot how much time had passed.) Cute Cream! I love Cream! Seriously! She is so cute! Hope you're enjoying life!**

 **Anna779: Thanks!**

Sonic's POV:

Two days after I crashed on the island, I decided that I needed to get food from the echidna. So far, the only thing I had found that even resembled food was this berry. Unfortunately for me, they made me throw up.

So there I was wandering the island, trying to find Knucklehead...and it wasn't going well. "Yo! Knucklehead! Where are you?!" I sprinted around the island, shouting.

After a few minutes, I think Knuckles got tired of the yelling. He climbed out of the forest right in front of me and knocked me off my feet while I was running at a pretty good speed.

"Yip!"

"Hedgehog! I was asleep!"

I stood up and brushed myself off. "Well sorry, but I have no food. Got any Chili Dogs?"

The echidna's fist's clenched slightly. "Look for your own food!"

"Well your berries make me throw up."

"That's because they aren't meant to be eaten! Their used for healing and first aid!"

"Thanks for that warning… So what am I supposed to eat?"

As we were talking Knuckles face seemed to get angrier and maybe even redder (which I didn't know was possible). Now he threw his arms in the air, as if he was done with me, "There are plenty of small animals on the island. Just hunt!"

My stomach started to get queasy at the thought of killing animals for food. "Um… I don't hunt."

"It's not difficult to learn how to do!" Knuckles made some hand motions towards the forest. "It's instinctive for crying out loud!"

I scratched the back of my neck, "Dude, I'm a city boy. I. Don't. Hunt. Do you have any fruit or some meat already cooked?"

The echidna groaned. "Why do I just not throw you off?"

"Because you can't."

"Shut up, Hedgehog. If you want some food, there are some Starfruit trees on the island."

I tilted my head slightly. "Star what?"

" _Starfruit_." He walked over to a tree and pulled off a golden melon looking thing. "This is a Star Fruit. Most of the trees aren't that tall, but you may have to climb."

"Eh, I don't mind heights. So do I just eat it, or do I need to peel it or something?"

"... You really need to get out more, Hedgehog. The whole fruit is edible, but you can spit out the seeds if you want. Now can I go back to my nap?" Knuckles crossed his arms and glared.

I shrugged, "Be my guest Knucklehead."

"Don't call me that." He turned around and disappeared into the trees.

After he left, I picked off one of the fruits and ate it. To be honest, it wasn't that bad. But I still preferred chili dogs. I sighed, _"Something tells me it may be a while 'til I can have a chili dog… The inhumanity!"_

Chuckling at myself, I took another fruit and sped off. After two day's I had explored the whole outer island. Now I wanted to see what was in the middle. Okay, maybe not the exact middle (Knuckles had already threatened me when I got a little too close for his liking) but at least it would be a change of scenery.

* * *

Two weeks later, I ran out of fruit. No I'm dead serious. I searched the whole island 25+ times and I couldn't find a single ripe Starfruit. So very, very, cautiously I made my way towards the last place I saw the echidna (which was about a week ago. We tried to avoid each other.).

"What is it hedgehog?"

I whirled around, "Don't do that!

The echidna rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the shadows. "What do you want?" He repeated a little more annoyed.

"Um...do you have anything else to eat?

"What happened to the fruit?"

"I think I ate it all?"

Knuckles just stared at me.

"What? I eat a lot!"

He frowned slightly. "Stay here." Without waiting for an answer he left the clearing.

About five minutes later, Knuckles returned to find me lying against a tree, appearing to be asleep. If I had been asleep, it would have been a horrible wake up call.

"Sweet Chaos! How did you eat all the Star Fruit in two weeks!?"

I jumped up in surprise from the outburst, "I eat a lot!"

"You eat too much!"

"You try running at the speed of sound for an hour and tell me how you feel…"

"I will if you try guarding this island for three weeks with a crazy blue hedgehog annoying you!"

"It's only been two weeks!"

"And three days!"

I think you can see how this argument was going…

We argued for a few more minutes than parted ways, saying that we'd beat the other up on our next meeting.

Two days later, I had to go ask the Echidna for food again. Let's just say it took another day to actually get some… And there was a lot of punching and trying-to-kill the other person involved.

* * *

After a month on Angel Island, I can honestly say I had never wanted to kill someone so badly, not even Robotnik! And that's saying something. In fact, the only reason I didn't actually kill the guy was because of the whole, "I knew your Father," issue.

The two of us sort of fell into a routine; Stay away from each other as much as possible, but if we did run into each other, argue until we get bored or one of us tries to kill the other. Very strange meetings…

Late one night, around two in the morning, I snapped awake. Why I woke up, is beyond me. One second I had been peacefully sleeping, the next I was on my feet in a ready position.

Confused, I stood up and relaxed. "What in Chaos…?"

My body tensed up again. And again I had no idea why.

" _Okay then…"_

I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate. Something had woken me up… Something, not natural.

By this point I had loosened up again. After a moment, I shrugged. "Okay maybe it's just my imagine-"

My quills stood on end.

" _Okay, that's it."_

I began to jog slowly through the woods, my eyes darting around as if trying to place a nonexistent enemy.

Eventually, I found myself very, very, very, close to the center of the island.

" _Okay, so my choice is either face the wrath of the echidna, or go back to sleep…"_

After a brief hesitation, I pushed on _very_ slowly. Several minutes later, I saw a bright light ahead, hiding in the thick shrubbery and trees. I hesitated again.

Okay, I didn't like the Knucklehead, but I really didn't want him any madder at me than he already was. Because despite all of the arguments and abuses, something told me I hadn't seen the really bad side of the echidna's anger.

Pushing aside that thought, I took a few steps forward. Ten feet...five feet...three feet…

Something alerted me. A slight sound made by a branch or just the ground being compacted down ever so slightly.

I turned around just in time to see Knuckle's fist hit solid contact the side of my head. A brief flash of pain was registered then everything went black.

* * *

I snapped awake and sat up.

A nearby bird chirped and the sun revealed it was early morning. When I looked around, I found myself near the edge of the island. I tried to recall if this is where I had fallen asleep, but my memory was a bit fuzzy…

Not to mention my head hurt like crazy.

"Knuckles!" I mumbled annoyed. I stood up and sped off towards the center of the island.

"KNUCKLES!" I screeched to a halt in a large clearing near where I had been knocked out last night.

The Echidna appeared a few seconds later, "What Hedgehog! I'm trying to sleep!"

"You knocked me out? A simple; Get out of here, would have sufficed!"

Knuckles blinked at me a few times. "What are you talking about…?"

"Last night! You punched me so hard that you knocked me out cold!"

The echidna continued to stare at me until I started to shift uncomfortably. Finally, "I have no idea what you're talking about hedgehog. You were probably dreaming. Now if you'll excuse me, I was taking a nap when you rudely woke me up." Knuckles turned around and disappeared in the brush.

I stared at the spot for a few minutes and then slowly began to walk away. I was almost convinced that it had been a dream by the time I returned to where I had woken up. _Almost._ One thing was bugging me though.

If it had been a dream and I had woken up the echidna from a nap demanding to explain his actions…

" _Why wasn't he angry?"_

 **I think it's sort of amusing that Sonic knows something is up because Knuckles, DIDN'T yell at him.**

 **Sorry this chapter is soooo late, but I've been busy.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and please REVIEW!**


	18. The Best Birthday Ever

**Hey, hope you all are happy to see me again! So last time we had a lighter chapter that ended on a mysterious note, in which we will find more about later. Let's be honest, about 50-90% of this story has been either depressing, stressful, or aggravating. So I decided we needed a break. Let's give Miles a little break for once and give him some good memories, okay? Comments on Reviews:**

 **Karygarcia21: Happy face! Hope you like this one.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: We all do a terrible job at some point right?**

 **Autumn: Life's good, homework is pretty light. And to be honest, I think I'd eat all the fruit as well.**

 **Quantum27: You'll have to wait and see… Fanart. To be honest, I don't have that much of an opinion on it. I like it, but I don't like the really graphic kind (blood is bad). And I'm not very good at it myself. Go ahead and do something! I'd love to see what you got!**

 **Anna7791: Right?**

 **Juancastri11: Trust me; I'm not going anywhere...unless I die. Oooh...bad thought. Happy thoughts! By the way, who is your favorite character? Just curious.**

 **Meadow: It really is. I roll over laughing every time...**

 **Alright then, let's continue.**

 **WAIT! Almost forgot: Special shout out and thanks to HaloEssence111 for being my editor and co-writer for this chapter (and hopefully for chapters to come). Seriously, I'm a terrible personal editor so I'm hoping with another editor (and contributor) we'll catch all of the errors.**

 **Okay, now let's roll out!**

Miles POV:

I laid awake at four in the morning, staring out the window as the midnight sky started to slowly grow lighter.

With a sigh, I rolled over in my cot, trying to get some sleep.

Cream was sleeping soundly, her breathing revealed that much. Wish I could say the same.

"I hate today…" I thought.

What was so horrible about today? Well, it's my birthday. I know it's strange for a kid to hate their birthday. Let me explain why: First, my mother died on my actual birth day. Second, all my other birthdays were either forgotten or horrible. When my Father did remember however, he made sure to ruin it. Lucy always tried to do something special for me, but never succeeded in making it very memorable. And finally...well, about a month ago now, I had been hoping that I would be celebrating my 'special day' with a certain hedgehog. Yeah, well, look how that turned out. Happy Birthday to me.

I sighed. Why was my life so complicated?

Thirty minutes later I finally lost my patience. As quietly as possible, I got out of bed and packed up my backpack. I walked out of Cream's room and snuck down the hall. When I got to the living room, I froze.

"So you're leaving…" Vanilla sat on the couch with a book. She looked up, her face unreadable Slowly, I nodded.

"Can't say I'm surprised… I just wish it wasn't true." She gave me a sad smile and went back to her book.

I hesitated. "Um… Are you mad? Or going to say something along the lines of, 'You're too young to be on your own', or whatever. Are you going to try and stop me?"

Vanilla looked up, "The way I see it, Miles, is that I'm not your mother. In a court of law, I have no jurisdiction over you. I also know that you've been on your own for quite some time and are still alive. And even if I asked you to stay, or tried to force you, that would be taking away from your choices. Besides, I doubt I could hold you here if I wanted too." She smiled slightly. "You remind me greatly of a guest that stayed here several years back. He was very adventurous and only remained here for a short time as well. Last I heard of him, he was making this world a better place in his own special way. That kid was fast moving..."

I looked at my feet, trying to keep a straight face. There was only one person that fit that description...and he was the one person that I didn't want to think about.

Vanilla smiled at me, "I understand. I just want you to know that my door is always open."

I nodded. "Thanks for everything, Mrs. Vanilla."

The rabbit just nodded and went back to her book, "I'll tell Cream that you said goodbye."

And without another word, I walked out the front door.

* * *

When I got about three blocks away, I realized I had no idea where I was going. _"Ugh… You just realized that! Idiot!"_ I smacked my forehead in frustration.

I continued walking, not exactly sure what to do. I pondered my options. One, stay in town and become a beggar...not exactly promising. Two, stay in town and live with Mrs. Vanilla...not that wasn't tempting, but I hated living off a mother's hard work, especially since she had her own kid to worry about. Three, leave this town and… well, wander around and try and stay alive. Fun.

I sighed and kicked a rock. "Why does life have to be so complicated?" I mumbled bitterly.

After another four blocks, I turned down a main street. In the distance, I heard the clock tower hit the stroke of seven.

 _That's how old I am today…_

Quickly, I shook that thought aside and continued walking. I stared at the ground, ignoring the townsfolk walking around town. A few looked at me (and, y'know, my tails) a little strangely, but no one approached me. That was one thing to be grateful for, as I wasn't really in the mood for being teased.

One hour later, I sat on a bench in the park eating a biscuit I saved from last night's dinner. I watched everyone walk by, not really noticing them.

" _Well it's my birthday...so what am I going to give myself?"_ I thought, licking the last few crumbs off my fingers. Without really meaning to, I reached into my backpack and pulled out my bi-plane model. I searched my memory trying to think of something; anything to do. I leaned back and closed my eyes, letting my thoughts envelope me.

An image of Maurice standing next to me, staring down at Johnsontown popped in my head.

" _There's a library and a few auto shops. It's a good place to grow up."_

My eyes snapped open and I shook my head. _Oh no Miles, you were doing well before he showed up, you don't need to take his advice._

 _ **Do you remember what you were about to do just before he found you?**_

 _Um…_

 _ **You were on a bridge! YOU WERE GOING TO JUMP, YOU BIG MORON.**_

I vaguely wondered if other people argued with themselves. Then again, I'm not other people. But the argument struck a chord, _"If Sonic didn't care about me, then why would he threaten my own Father in order to figure out where I was…"_

"Woah Miles! Stop it!" I grabbed my head and mentally told myself to shut up. "He's gone, get over it!"

 _Do I have to?_

I stood up and started running, spinning my tails for a minute then lifting off the ground. Holding back tears, I flew as far as I could before dropping to the ground and leaning against a nearby building. If anyone had given me strange looks, I hadn't noticed. Trying to calm my breathing and block out those annoying thoughts, I looked up at the sign on the building I had landed in front of. The sign read ' _Frank's' Auto and Repair Shop_ '.

 _Great…_

I stood up and peered through the window. Any thought or fear immediately retreated into the back of my head at the sight of the shop.

An old car was hooked up to a lift with a large metal tool box nearby. There were two empty spots identical to the first, in case more cars needed to be worked on. On the far wall were several tool benches and work tables with assorted broken household and work tools scattered around them. The room itself wasn't the cleanest, with a grease stain here and there, and the tools not perfectly organized. No one was in sight.

Subconsciously, I took a step toward the door. _Whoa, Miles! No entering machine shops! Bad idea!_

I stood there for a moment and looked curiously inside again. Then I pretty much lost my resolve. I grasped the handle and gently opened the door. A little bell jingled as it opened and then closed behind me. I waited a few seconds to see if anyone would appear, but no one did.

Very slowly, I walked around the car, peering in at the wiring and the tools being used to fix it, but careful not to touch anything. After a few minutes of that, I walked over to the tool benches and work tables.

My hands started twitching slightly, aching to grab a screwdriver and fix some of the relatively minor problems, but I managed to restrain myself.

After ten minutes of exploring and grinning like an idiot, I decided I had stayed long enough and turned to go. Of course, that was when I slipped on a spare creeper (which is that strange scooter device you use to roll under cars, for non-mechanics). Luckily, I wasn't hurt, but my biplane model skitted across the floor under one of the work tables.

I stood up and brushed myself off. I walked over then crouched under the table and just barely grasped the plane when I heard a gruff, elderly voice from behind me.

"Hello?"

Startled, I attempted to stand up, but only succeeded in banging my head on the table. Hard.

"Owww!" I pulled myself out from under the table, gripping my model.

"Oops. Sorry sonny, didn't mean to scare you."

Rubbing my head, I turned around slowly and looked at the new comer.

An old gray wolf gave a smile at me. He was wearing a mechanic's apron over blue jeans and a grease-stained white t-shirt. A tool belt was over the apron with a few screwdrivers and wrenches in the leather loops. The wolf himself looked pretty old, his muzzle slightly white and clear blue eyes that shined with humor. But despite his age, I could tell that he was strong.

"No, it's my fault sir. I should have been watching my step." I finally replied, looking at the floor.

The wolf walked over to me and looked me over. After a few seconds of silence, "What's that you're holding, sonny?"

I looked up a little confused. To be honest, I had been expecting the 'freak' speech again. I stumbled over my words, "I, um… m-my biplane model."

"May I?" He motioned for my plane. Still confused, I handed it to him.

With gentle hands, he inspected it for several minutes. "I've never seen this model before. It's pretty good! What company made this? Mini-Models? Build-It Kit?"

"Um…no, sir. I did."

"Well, of course you did, but what model kit was it?"

"It's just made out of scrap metal, sir."

The wolf looked it over a little more carefully. "Oh, well, that explains the soda can. Could hardly tell it was there! How long did this take you and your Dad to make?"

I winced slightly, "Um… It took me about two hours to make it, but another four to make it look accurate."

"Do you and your Father enjoy building these?"

"My Father definitely didn't help me make that, or anything else for that matter." I took back the model and placed it in my backpack.

The old man just looked at me, "So you made that by yourself…?"

I nodded. "Sorry for troubling you sir, I- I should probably be on my way." As I turned to leave, the wolf held up his hand.

"Hold on, sonny, I want to show you something." He walked across the room to a back door and motioned for me to follow him.

I hesitated. _Okay Miles, strange old man wants to show you something in the back of the building. You're a seven year old boy. Put the two together, and that usually doesn't add up to a good equation. But on the other hand, the guy seemed really nice…_

"You coming Sonny?"

I really wished he would stop calling me that… But without another thought, I followed him through the door.

My mouth hung open as I stared at the room. "Oh… My… Chaos…"

"I take it you like it?" The wolf smiled at my bewildered expression.

Ever been in a model display room? Picture that, but ten times better. Glass cases lined the four walls, each one filled with small models of cars, planes, trains, boats, even a few bicycles.

In the center of the room was a large table with a giant pirate ship on one side, and an incomplete battleship on the other. A few boxes of unopened kits sat in between them. On the sides of the table were three long glass cases also filled with models.

Very slowly, I walked around the room, peering into the cases. After a few minutes of silence, the old wolf gave a chuckle.

"You like 'em?" I nodded.

"This is nothing. I've had to store away half my models since there isn't enough room in here. My wife wasn't too happy with me. I guess you could say I'm a little addicted to building them… bit of a hobby of mine." he said, grinning.

I smiled back at him. "I've never actually had a kit, but I love building things! Models are fun since they take a lot shorter time, but it's like having the actual car or plane."

His grin grew wider. "You like biplanes, right?" He motioned me to follow him out yet another door. "I'm Frank, by the way. Frank Roberts."

"Hi Mr. Roberts. I'm Miles! Miles Prower." I scurried after him.

Frank led me behind the shop. "I was working back here when you came in, that's why I missed the bell." He motioned to a large red barn. "Some things I prefer to keep back here and fix without having to explain to customers how I have it. Here's one of them." Throwing open the doors, I got my third giant surprise of the day.

There, sitting in the barn was a biplane. I stared at it for a moment and then let out a small noise that sounded somewhere between an excited squeal and high pitched shriek.

Frank looked a little surprised, but smiled as I sprinted over to the plane. The surface was a dulled red with various scratches along the sides, as if the machine had seen better days. The wings weren't painted, just plain metal, but beautiful all the same. The rotor was a glossy black, with bright yellow tips.

I didn't know if I was in heaven or just having a really good dream.

I guess I must've looked pretty funny, because Frank chuckled at my expression. "I take it that you're a fan of biplanes, kiddo. Hey," he said, looking as excited as a little kid. "You want a ride?"

This was a dream. It had to be. Only in a dream could this this guy be able to read my mind. Unconsciously, I found myself nodding my head, and Frank's eyes lit up.

"Great! Hop in!"

Eagerly, I scrambled into the rear cockpit, trying not to let out a squeal of pure joy. _Okay, Miles. This may be your only chance, ever, to ride in a real biplane. Be cool. Be COOL._

Frank handed me a blue helmet with yellow stripes and some black framed goggles; I buckled the helmet under my chin and gave him the thumbs up. He started the plane, the motor only puttering at first, but growing into a raging roar. I was grateful that the helmet covered my ears, or else I might have gone deaf.

Over the helmet's radio, I heard Frank's crackly voice, "Hold on tight, sonny!" And the plane started to creep forward off the runway I could see it gaining air, feeling the swooping sensation in my stomach as the plane moved completely off the ground.

Seemingly instantly, I was flying, clouds wetting my face. The town was far below us now, the houses and shops just tiny dots in the distance. I began to laugh. Laugh at the ground, the sky, the small houses, and the miniature people on the ground. Just laugh all of the trouble and sorrow away like it never even existed

In front, Frank pulled us into a gentle loop. "I take it you're enjoying yourself?" he said over the radio. I simply nodded my head, grinning from ear to ear.

"Want to fly it?"

And I'm pretty sure that's when my heart stopped. Frank took my stunned silence as a yes, and pushed a few buttons to allow me to use my controls in the back.

"F-frank?" I said, suddenly nervous. "A-are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I-I've never actually flown one of these things before… and I really, really don't want to crash it."

"No worries, kiddo. I've just got a feeling about you."

 _Okay, so he's either way too trusting, or just insane._

 _I think I preferred 'trusting'_.

Frank began to talk me through the process. "Alright, now there are some advantages to biplanes. One, biplanes can usually lift up to 20% more than a similarly sized monoplane of similar wingspan. Therefore, a biplane will typically have a shorter wingspan than the equivalent monoplane, which tends to afford greater maneuverability. The struts and wire bracing of a typical biplane form a box girder. This permits a very light but strong and rigid wing structure. This allows the biplane to fly with very little power. But there are disadvantages, such as the wings have a negative interference with the aerodynamics of the other, requiring greater overall surface area to produce the same lift as the equivalent monoplane and also produces more drag than a monoplane, especially as speed increases."

 _Note to self: buy notebook for notes on planes._

"You got all that, sonny?"

"I-I think so." I said, still a little nervous, but getting excited. I mean, I was flying a for-real BIPLANE, for chaos sake.

Frank gave a small chuckle. "Alright, grab the yoke, or control stick whichever you prefer. It's right between your knees. Pull back to go up, push forward to go down. Simple enough. Now, try it out. Go ahead."

I took a deep breath, and pulled back on the yoke. Like magic, the plane rose up in the air, the wind whipping through the fur on my face. My fingers itched to try it again; this time, I pushed forward on the stick and we dove down slightly.

Up front, Frank gave a small whoop of delight. He called in again, "Okay, let's continue. Look down at the floor. See those two pedals? Those are your rudder pedals. If you want to go right, push on the right pedal; left, the left one. At the same time, tilt your control stick in the direction you want to go."

"Gotcha." I said, feeling more and more confident with every minute. I pulled back on the control stick and pressed the right pedal. As the plane tilted to the right, my stomach's butterflies picked up a little, but this time it felt more exhilarating than nerve-wracking. I continued to fly around for a while, experimenting with different combinations of the pedal and the control stick.

After an hour, Frank radioed in, "Alright, you ready to land this puppy?"

I wanted to keep flying, but realized that we had been in the air a long time already. "Okay, Frank." I let go of the controls and the plane immediately tilted right.

The wolf jerked the plane back up straight. "Woah! Warn me when you're going to do that!"

Sheepishly, I mumbled an apology.

Frank took us down and landed in his backyard. I hadn't noticed how big it was until that moment.

Standing next to the runway was an elderly brown wolf lady with a light pink dress on. She did not look very happy… Frank didn't look very comfortable either.

"Hello... dear." He gave a small timid wave.

The woman crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Hello? _Is that all you have to say for yourself?"_

I thought it might be a good time to leave.

"YOU TOOK A KID FLYING!? WHAT IN CHAOS WENT THROUGH YOUR HEAD, FRANK? THINK! WHAT'RE HIS PARENTS GOING TO SAY? _WE COULD BE SUED, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!"_

"Um… I don't have parents." I said softly, refusing to look at Frank and Bernice.

Frank frowned in my direction, then turned his attention back to his wife. "Well if you must know, Bernice, I thought Miles would enjoy it. He loves biplanes, so I just thought-"

"YOU JUST THOUGHT YOU'D TAKE HIM ON A FLIGHT?"

"I, um, also… might've let him fly..."

"YOU _WHAT_?" Her face was now bright red with fury.

And that was when I knew it was a good time to make my exit. Leaving the couple to their mostly one-sided argument. And I almost got away with it too, if Frank hadn't looked over at me.

"Hey, kid, where're you going?" he asked, looking confused and a little hurt. I immediately felt guilty, but knew that it was time to disappear.

"I… I have to go." I said quietly. "Thanks for the ride. It… it was great."

Frank gave me a sad look, then chuckled. "No, thank you, sonny. I haven't had that much fun in years. Will you ever come again? You're always welcome for another ride if you feel like it."

I wanted with all my heart to say yes, I would be coming back, but my mouth couldn't form the words. I couldn't promise something that was impossible.

"N-no, I don't think so…" I said, staring down at my feet.

"Who are your parents, Miles?" interjected Bernice, her voice much softer and kinder than before.

I blushed, but managed to answer. "I-I don't got any."

"Any what?" She sounded worried.

"...parents."

She looked at me a little confused, then at her husband, who returned the expression. I suddenly felt uncomfortably hot, and had no greater desire at the moment then to run away, very, very fast.

"Anyway," I said, clearing my throat. "I had better get going. Thanks again for the ride. This was the best birthday ever."

Bernice made a noise with her throat that sounded similar to a frog croak and bird call mixed… she barely managed to get out her words. "Your...birthday...is today?"

I froze. Oh chaos, oh chaos, oh _sweet_ chaos. I am an idiot. Chaos, what kind of a dolt just blurts out 'It's my birthday'?

Okay, Tails. Take a deep breath. You can fix this. Just pull a Maurice and run away as fast as you possibly can. You will never have to see these people again. It's a win-win. I was just about to leave when Frank spoke out suddenly.

"Bernice! Get a birthday cake going! I'll go dig out some candles from the garage. We're having a party!"

"N-no, really Frank, you d-don't have to-" I started, sweating. Neither of them paid attention but ran off in separate directions, leaving me awkwardly standing by the biplane.

"Or not…" I mumbled at my feet. Why does this stuff always happen to _me_? Seriously, whoever is in charge of fate needs to go find some other person's life to ruin.

This is your chance, Tails. Run now, while they're distracted.

But I couldn't just go without a goodbye. I just couldn't. It wasn't fair to Frank, with how nice he had been to me. I sure wasn't exaggerating when I said that his time with me had made this the best birthday ever.

So, without any other decent sounding choices at hand, I decided it would be best if I stuck around for the party, _then_ left as soon as possible. It was only polite.

I walked into the machine shop to wait for Frank, feeling a bit sheepish for putting them through all this trouble. After a few minutes, the smell of chocolate began to fill the air and my stomach grumbled with anticipation. _No, Miles. Don't get tempted._

 _But it smells so good…_

I realized I was drooling, and immediately snapped out of it. What was I thinking? It was going to be in and out, and that's it.

 _Keep telling yourself that._

Oh, shut up me.

After a couple of more minutes, Frank poked his head into the shop, a grin spread across his wrinkled face.

"Come on in, sonny! Bernice has the cake all ready, and I've got the candles!" I followed him into a small kitchenette, where on a small circular table, was a small chocolate cake with drippy, dark chocolate icing. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of it; I've never had a birthday cake before. Heck, I've never even tasted one.

"So, how old are you turning today?" asked Frank, taking out a pack of half-used blue birthday candles.

"Um, seven."

Bernice looked shocked. "You're telling me that you are barely _seven years old_ and fending for yourself out on the streets?"

"Um… yes?"

The two of them exchanged meaningful glances then Frank lit the candles.

The two of them sang a song called, Happy Birthday to You...although something told me I was supposed to know it.

"Alright Miles, make a wish."

A wish… I closed my eyes and thought for a moment then opened them again.

 _I wish to be needed somewhere._

I blew out the candles and Frank and Bernice clapped. Bernice took the cake off to the side and began to cut up small pieces as Frank left the room. He returned with chicken enchiladas.

"Dinner before dessert! That's the rule sonny."

With a start I realized that it was late afternoon and it was, in fact, dinner. The sun was already going down.

The three of us began to eat, with Bernice and Frank asking questions the whole time. At first, I was a little sceptical, but after a little while I started to relax.

By the end of dinner, I explained what had happened to my Mother and sister and very briefly described my Father's feelings toward me, although I didn't say how bad it really was. Then I told them I had just lived on my own since then. The words 'Sonic the Hedgehog' never came up in the conversation. I absolutely refused to bring him or any time with him up.

At dessert, we moved on to happier subjects such as model building and biplanes. Frank sure knew a lot about machines and was happy to share his knowledge.

When I asked him about the biplane, he smiled. "Well about three years ago, an echidna crash landed in a nearby field. He came here to get the plane fixed, and I happily obliged. After a few days, I realized that it would take another two weeks to repair it completely and told the man that he may want to start on his business and to come back in a few weeks for an update."

"Well, it actually was finished by the middle of the second week. So I waited for the man to return. One week went by, then two. Those weeks turned into months which turned into years. He still hasn't returned."

Bernice rolled her eyes as she collected the now empty plates. "I say you get rid of it already! It's been three years, so sell it for scrap metal or something! It takes up all that room in the barn, which means loss of space, which means loss of business."

"Now Berny, we've been over this. I gave my word that I'd keep it here until he returned, and gosh darn it, that's what I'm going to do."

"He could be dead for all we know, Frank!"

"Or his business is very extensive and he can't find time to come pick up his plane."

"Frank! I think you just want to keep that plane for yourself."

"And is there anything wrong with that?"

I grinned at the floor. Even though the two of them were arguing, I knew they had already had this conversation multiple times with the same points and facts. It was probably more of a routine then an argument.

Frank stood up and began to help his wife clear of the table, the conversation still continuing on. "I happen to like flying it."

"And how do you think I feel when I see you hundreds of feet in the air? I'll tell you it's not calm or happy!"

"Annoyed?"

"No! Well, yes, but no! I'm afraid you'll crash into the house! Who do you think is going to have to clean up that mess? Mmh?" Bernice walked into the next room.

Frank winked at me. "Well I'd help you clean it up, Bernice."

She poked her head back in. "You'd help me? With who? The Devils?"

"Where did the devils come from?"

"You just crashed, Frank! Where do you think you are? I know you're not up there!" Bernice pointed up toward the ceiling.

"Well at least you'd see me after a few years." Frank grinned.

Bernice growled and grabbed a wooden spoon. "Frank Roberts!"

I hid under the table as the two ran about the room, Frank trying to avoid his wife's hits as she yelled abuse.

When she finally got a good smack on his arm, she straightened out her dress. "Serves you right!"

I climbed out from under the table, a little nervous that I'd get hit with a spoon.

Frank didn't seem angry at all. He just took his wife's hand and grinned at me. "I love this woman!" The two of them smiled at each other. I just stood there a little confused. Old married couples are strange…

"Alright Miles, do you prefer UNO or Monopoly?" said Frank, clapping his hands together.

"Um… what's that?"

"UNO it is!"

* * *

After roughly two dozen games of UNO, I stifled a yawn. It was time to go… I stood up and stretched. "Um… Thanks for dinner… and the cake… and… well, I guess for everything. I should really be going now."

I shuffled around the table and headed for the door.

"Miles?"

I stopped with my hand on the knob.

Bernice and Frank whispered with one another for a second and then stopped. Frank spoke up. "How'd you like to stay here for a little while?"

Immediately, I threw the mental walls in my head. Nope, not doing this again. Never again."Thanks Frank, but I'm going to have to say no. I… I can't take any charity."

"And you won't get any from me!" I heard his chair scoot back and footsteps approach me. "You want to stay, you're going to have to work for it."

My 'walls' lowered slightly as I frowned confused. "Work where?"

"In the shop. Where else?"

My heart stopped and the walls crumbled down. Work in an actual machine shop… Oh my Chaos… I was going to faint. Seriously, I was going to fall over in a minute, I swear.

Bernice now spoke. "Of course my husband has forgotten what child labor means…" she glared at him.

"I think that as long as we're giving him a roof over his head, a decent amount of food, and every dollar he's earned then-"

"Wait, you're going to pay me?" I turned around, my eyes full of shock and confusion.

Frank smiled, "That's what I just said, didn't I? Besides, I think it would be good for the kid. He's a little bit of a genius. I'll talk to the sheriff and see what he thinks in the morning. I think he'll be fine with it… Just think of it as foster care, Bernice. Although he doesn't have to move…"

My knees felt very shaky. In fact, I almost fell down, but Frank caught me.

"Whoa there, sonny! Calm yourself."

Slowly, I stood up and began to frantically try and come up with some excuse to say no and run. Nothing popped up. Oh Chaos, now I was definitely going to faint.

"What do you say Miles?"

I looked up at the two wolves. Frank had this hopeful expression on his face and Bernice was smiling.

Any resolve to leave crumbled on the spot. I smiled slowly, "Why not? Let's try it out."

Frank gave a loud whoop and picked me up, throwing me in the air.

"AHH!" Instinctively I spun my tails and hovered in the air.

Bernice's mouth dropped open, "Oh...my chaos."

Frank just smiled and tilted his head, "Well I'll be. A flying fox…"

I dropped down and looked at the ground. Stupid, stupid tails… "Are you mad?"

"Not mad," Bernice shook her head, "Just surprised."

"If you can fly on your own, then why did I teach you how to fly a plane?" Frank chuckled. He picked me up again and threw me over his shoulder. "Sack of potatoes!"

"Put me down!" I cried out a little alarmed.

"Frank, put the boy down! You're scaring him!" Bernice scolded.

Frank gently put be back down. "Sorry Miles. I guess you're not used to stuff like that…"

I hid behind Bernice. Frank had a strange idea of fun…

Bernice ruffled my hair gently. "Come on Miles, I'll show you where you can sleep." She took my hand and lead me up the stairs to the level above the shop.

At the top of the stairs, there was a long hallway with four doors on the left.

Bernice began to talk, pausing in front of each door. "The first door is Frank's 'office.' Second is the bathroom. Third one is Frank and my room and the last one," She grabbed the knob, "Is where you'll be staying," she flung open the door revealing a small bedroom with a single bed pushed up underneath a window on the right. On the left was a small dresser and desk.

Nothing fancy, but I thought it was perfect. "Thank you, Mrs. Roberts. It's the nicest place I've slept in." Which was true… I didn't count Cream's bedroom because, well, it was her bedroom. Bernice nodded, then left me to get settled.

I shut the door behind her and dropped my backpack on the ground. I climbed up on the bed and stared out the window.

From here, I could see the backyard with the barn, lit by small lamps, as the sun was long gone. Frank with putting the biplane away, with small movements. When it was firmly tucked away, he shut the doors and came back in the shop.

I laid down on the bed and pulled up the sheets.

 _Okay Miles, today you flew in a biplane, ate birthday cake for the first time, got a job at a machine shop, and all of a sudden have the nicest guardians ever._

 _Can you say Best Birthday Ever?_

 **Oh my Chaos...that was a long chapter… 5633 words! Wow… Honestly, I didn't think it was going to be that long. I guess that is to make up for the last few short chapters. Oh my Chaos.**

 **Alright, so here's the deal-io. My spring break is next week so I had been hoping to get some serious typing in HOWEVER I will be out of town for four days and I don't think I'll get to type during them.**

 **Ugh! I will do my best to update when I get back, but no promises. Then after that I have school again. Once again, Ugh! So I don't know when I'll get to update.**

 **And just a heads up; after summer break, I will probably not get the opportunity to update as frequently as I have been. Why? Because this year I've had light homework. Next year, I have two AP classes, Pre-Calc, and Chemistry. So HOMEWORK will increase dramatically.**

 **Yeah… I'm already stressed. Oh boy.**

 **Once again a big thanks to HaloEssence111 for agreeing to edit and write with me! I've been missing my old writing partner, dreamweaver12… 13…? I forgot her numbers...wow. DW! I've been missing DW! So thank you so much!**

 **Review! (: Please.**


	19. Chaos, it's an Emerald

**Hey y'all! Miss me? I was off a computer for four days...and I can honestly say that I wanted to type so badly! Not even fanfiction, just type! So I'm back and sooooo happy! Comments:**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Thanks...bro? Gal? I have no idea…**

 **Autumn: Trip wasn't bad; I only got sunburned on my head (stinking part) and spent about forty dollars… Still hate heights… *shivers* I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter and I'm also happy for the happy chapter. (...wait what?)**

 **Meadow of Sparkling Starlight: Frank and Bernice… to be honest, I sort of came up with them on the spot. Bernice is Sonic's Mother's name in Archie, right?**

 **GlowingGem: FYI: You're idea with Tails will be coming up...very, very, very soon. (Like next chapter probably.) Hope you like it… (; I'm super excited.**

 **Okay so last time we had a happy chapter. Now we are going to have a...informative chapter… Lots and lots of information of how the Chaos Emeralds work.**

 **Now, SEGA is never really completely clear on how they work. We get the feeling it has something to do with emotions ("The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart. The Controller is the one that unifies the Chaos.") since we have Dark Sonic, Super Sonic, and the Werehog. (This, by the way, makes no sense as my Father clearly pointed out. Wouldn't he be a Wolfhog? Or Hedgewolf? Werewolf means man-wolf so Sonic is a Manhog? It makes no sense.)**

 **So I will point out right now that my way of seeing the emeralds may not make sense or you may not agree with it. It will be explained in the post-author's notes. If you don't agree with it, I'd love to hear your point of seeing it or opinion, either by PM or Reviews. Once again, don't hate me for my way of putting it. Thanks.**

 **Now let's move.**

Sonic's POV:

The fact that the echidna was avoiding me and not getting mad at me was enough to throw me for a loop, but when he apologized for not giving me food for two days, I knew something was up. Knuckles seem distant, almost distracted by something. Now, what that something was what I wanted to find out…

Which is exactly why I was wandering through the forest yelling, "Yo Knuckles!" as loud as I possibly could. I know. Probably not the best idea….but hey, I wanted, no, _needed_ answers.

"What?"

I jumped. The voice came right from behind me, as if the owner of said voice had been watching me. Can anyone say 'creepy'?

"Hey, Knucklehead…" I turned around very, very, very slowly, trying not to appear startled or annoyed. It didn't work too well.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Make it quick Hedgehog. I've got work to do."

"Yeah, that's kinda why I wanted to talk to you. To put it bluntly...what in Chaos are you up to?"

Knuckles blinked, and then scowled. "What I do on this island is none of your business. Any other questions?"

"Uh, yes… What are you doing?"

"I think I'll just ignore you from now on," the echidna mumbled under his breath. He turned around and began to disappear into the forest again.

Very annoyed at this point, I raced after him and...Well, I move at the speed of sound. He didn't really stand a chance of escape (it was actually rather pathetic, to tell you the truth).

After a few miles of him (trying) to lose me, Knuckles threw up his arms, exasperated.

" _What do you want from me, Hedgehog?_ You have food, you have water, and you space to run. You _should_ be thanking your lucky stars that I haven't killed you. What else could be wrong?!"

I shrugged, "Well for one, a few nights ago, I woke up for no reason. I had this weird feeling that something wasn't right. Then when I got really close to the cause, you show up and KO me without an explanation. Why couldn't I fall asleep?!"

The Knucklehead stared at me for a second. "A weird feeling? … what do you mean by that?"

"I dunno. I just suddenly felt… grr, what's the word… awake? Ready to fight? I'm not sure how to describe it, just sort of… chaotic."

Without another word or even noise, Knuckles pretty much grabbed my arm and began to drag me towards the center of it island. Maybe grabbed is a nice way of putting it...more like attempted to dislocate my shoulder. Nice guy, huh?

"Hey, hey, watch it, buddy boy! I kinda like my arm, you don't have to yank it off! Ow! Lemme go!" Knuckles ignored my cries of annoyed pain and continued to drag me across the terrain. After what seemed like hours, he finally loosed his grasp enough for me to slip free. I jumped up, furious and ready to fight.

"You wanna dance, red? Cause I'm ready to-"

"Shut up and look around, hedgehog!"

I looked up and my mouth dropped open.

Picture a nice, peaceful green meadow. Now stick a big stone tower thing right in the middle of it with two enormous flights of stairs leading to the top, where I could make out a strange, unworldly green glow.

"What- what in the sweet name of chaos is _that_?" I pointed to the top of the tower. Knuckles had his arms crossed, slightly bemused.

"It's the Master Emerald." he stated as if that cleared everything up. He began to walk up the stairs and I had no choice but to follow him. (Actually I ran up ahead of him. I like running, not climbing stairs.)

After a few seconds of inspecting the giant gem at top, Knuckles finally joined me. I raised an eyebrow at him a bit confused. "What is it again?"

"The Master Emerald."

"Chaos, it's an Emerald?" I looked at it a little closer. "It looks like a giant diamond, not an emerald."

"It's green."

"Well duh, I can see that, Captain Obvious. But _what is it_ exactly? And don't say 'Master Emerald' again. You've said it twice and it still makes no sense. A third time isn't gonna help."

"It's a chaos emerald."

"... Yeah, you're losing me."

Knuckles crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Have you ever wondered where the term, 'Chaos,' came from?"

"No."

He let out a large sigh. "Well, let's just pretend that you have. I don't know exactly when or how but a really long time ago, my ancestors, an ancient clan of Echidnas, were tasked with the responsibility of protecting the Chaos Emeralds-"

"Wait, there's more than one?"

"There are eight counting the Master Emerald. None of them are as big as this. The other seven can fit in your hand. They're a less powerful. Anything else Hedgehog? Or may I continue?"

I realized I should make myself comfortable and leaned against one of the crumbling pillars. "Why not?"

"We were tasked with protecting the Chaos Emeralds from those who would abuse their power. Unfortunately our clan became corrupt as well. Very few Guardians remained when the dust settled for control over the emeralds. No one is completely sure about the whole story, but we do know that the most faithful guardian was embodied into the Master Emerald along with the god Chaos."

"Wait, he's a god? Living in an Emerald…"

"Yes."

"Why isn't he chillin out in the sky or whatever it is they do?"

Knuckles sighed and sat down. "What are you talking about?"

"Um...Greek Deities?"

"Do I look Greek to you?"

"No, you look Jamaican."

Knuckles glared at him, "Shut up."

I closed my eyes and leaned back again, "Continue."

Slowly, the echidna took a calming breath. "Okay then…" He collected his thoughts and continued. "The Guardian and Chaos live in the island until they are needed in dire times. The Guardian's job is to guard it from evil purposes and people. That's why I stay here. My Father trained me to take the job on and I will train the next guardian."

"So...you're whole purpose to guard a rock?"

"It's NOT a rock! It's a super powerful source of power that could destroy the world if used incorrectly!"

"...But you admit that it's a gem."

"Yes- but- well- ugh! Hedgehog!"

"Why does everyone call me that when they're angry? It usually means I should start running for cover. It's a warning! Seriously, you might as well yell, 'I'm really mad at you so I'm going to throw something at you! Duck!' It's really obvious."

Knuckles balled his fists up. "Do I need to punch you, hedgehog?"

"See? Just call me Sonic. So why exactly are you telling me this?"

Knuckles paused in his fury (which I didn't know was possible). "You sensed when I was calling on the power Chaos a few nights ago. Nobody can just do that. So either you just were in a very heavily covered area of chaotic energy, or there's something in your blood, or your heart."

"Or my brain?"

"No. If it was your brain, you wouldn't feel anything."

"Oh… Wait was that an insult?"

"Moving on-"

"That was an insult! I knew it! I'm so proud of you Knucklehead! First sarcastic comments, now insults! We're really getting progress on your social skills. Maybe next time we can work on compliments then move to handshakes. Or even hugs!"

"I said, _moving on."_ Knuckles snarled.

Inwardly, I smirked. Point for me.

Echidna boy scowled, "The way you can sense or use Chaos energy is if you have an ancestor who descends from an ancient guardian or just user, or if Chaos himself sees something of value in you. I'm going to go with the former."

"Why, because I look like one of the guardians?"

"No, because based on what I've seen there is nothing of any possible value in you."

… Point for Knuckles.

Again, he continued. "So the fact that you could feel it basically means you're special...although I don't see how."

"Okay, I'm done with the insults. Just cut to the point. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because it's better to know now then to find out on accident."

I just stared at him for a moment. "Knuckles, the more you talk, the more confused I get."

The Knucklehead scowled and laid down on the ground in front of the emerald, placing his hands behind his head. He just sat there for another twenty minutes while I shifted around trying to figure out what to do. Just when I decided it would be better to leave, the echidna spoke again.

"Chaos energy is a tricky thing. Your emotions pretty much control how much you get and how it affects you. Old memories can trigger the energy and make you feel different based on the memory. Another way it works is how or why you're using it. If you have dark intentions then you pretty much go 'dark' power wise, but if your intentions are true and pure then that's what the power reflects. Make sense?"

"Yeah, I think I get it." I said, scratching my head.

Knuckles opened one of his eyes and glanced at me. Then he closed it again. "Not many people have the ability to call on the power of the emeralds. It's something like a 1 in 1 billion people...and most of them don't even know about it. That can be dangerous for more than one reason. One is they may have some experience that causes them to call on the emerald's power, but they don't know what it is or what to do with it or even how to control it. That's when it can get really nasty. Ever heard of Mount Vesuvius? In Pompeii?"

"Uh yeah, who hasn't?"

"There you go. Someone lost their temper and the volcano went 'boom', covering and killing a lot of people. That's the best example I got of accidental losing control of Chaos power. Then of course the other main reason is, well, I already mentioned it partially. A few hundred years ago, this guy discovered he had Chaos energy on accident and tried to keep it inside. Now, normally this wouldn't be a problem, but he became paranoid about it, especially since he had no idea what it was. He began to shove his emotions and thoughts in his head and locked himself in, never leaving or even speaking. Over the space of a few years he went insane, eventually becoming this dark Chaotic being that almost destroyed the whole planet."

Knuckles paused and opened his eyes, staring up at the blue sky. His voice went a little quieter, "And he wasn't the only one. Many good people have become corrupt by the dark power because of one accident. One life, or in some cases multiple lives were destroyed because they couldn't withstand the sheer power a chaos emerald can bestow… And once they're gone, there's no way to get them back."

I looked over at the echidna. His eyes were still open but they looked glazed over, as if his thoughts were a long way from me.

After a few minutes I interrupted the silence. "And this has to do with me?"

Knuckles eyes snapped toward me, "Well, in a way, yes."

"How?"

"Well…" Knuckles hesitated, "I don't know exactly. Since I'm a guardian, I can call on the Emerald's Power, but it's a little different for everyone. For some the power is in their blood, like mine. Blood energy usually just means you can ask for favors, like making an island float, or to chase away intruders. I cannot physically use the power unless Chaos sees it fit."

"Oh that's why it's a floating island…"

"For others, the energy is inside them. They can physically use the power in different forms. Some have special powers, such as super strength or telekinesis. But others actually use that power to summon blasts of the energy that they can throw or release at will; that is if they learn to control it."

I smirked, "Like a gun?"

"...sort of. More like energy spears or whips. The last form is...well hard to understand. Dumbing it down as much as I can, it circles around them, surrounding them, but it doesn't appear to be physically in them. This is probably the rarest form and no guardian alive actually knows how it works. Some have said it involves the mind's ability to see things others can't. Others have believed it involves control over certain elements. My Father thought it had something to do with affecting natural materials."

"What do you think?" I asked.

"Well… Once again, this is not completely accurate or true."

"Just spit it out Knucklehead."

Knuckles sat up and faced me, sitting cross legged. "I personally think it's a more powerful version of the physical energy. It flows around _and_ through them, making it stronger and more difficult to control."

I shrugged. "So what can they do?"

"Once again, no one's sure. Fortunately, I don't think you're in that category. If I had to say based on your physical abilities, I'd say you fall in the second category."

"I thought you said I inherited it."

"Yes you probably did. But inheriting the power can be physical, blood, or Zena. Same for gifted."

"Za-wha?"

" _Zena_. It's what we call the third type."

I rubbed my head, "I'm getting migraine."

Knuckles rolled his eyes and laid back down. "Any other questions?"

Quickly, I ran though the information that had just been spilled into my brain.

"The seven smaller ones...can they float islands?"

"No...They're mostly used as energy sources."

One other thought entered my mind...and I was a little nervous to ask it. I took a deep breath, "So if I have this...chaos ability...do I need to worry about that Dark form you mentioned."

"I need to worry about it, and I only have it in my blood. Here's the deal, worry about it, but don't let it control you. You are pretty laid back and don't let your emotions control your actions and words. Besides, you need a chaos emerald either in your hand or very close to you to actually cause some damage. The only emerald you need to worry about is the Master Emerald, and since I don't usually let you near here, I think you're fine."

"What about the other seven?"

"They went missing a long time ago. I doubt you'll ever see them, let alone find one. Are we done?"

I stood up and began to walk down the stairs. "Yeah. Thanks for the explanation." Wandering through the forest, my thoughts began to run through the info again.

 _Chaos energy… Sure, why not? My life couldn't get any stranger…_

 **Poor Sonic, his mind is about to snap. To be honest...so is mine. So clarification time in case anyone got confused in the banter and sarcastic comments:**

 **-Three types of Chaos Energy: Blood, Physical, and Zena**

 **-All three types can either be inherited through your ancestors or gifted by Chaos.**

 **Now let me explain my reasoning: I've noticed throughout the series that many of the super powered people or beings have certain things in common. Most of them are considered freaks, which mean that super powered people must be rare. We don't usually think this though because the main people we see or play as are those rare gifted people. So we sort of assume that all Mobians have powers. WRONG. Rouge is a perfect example. She's a bat with super spy talent that she TRAINED for. NOT gifted.**

 **So where did this super power show up from? Well in X-Men I think it was explained as a mutant gene or the X-gene...not positive on that since I'm not really in that fandom. Anyway, I guessed that it had something to do with Chaos or an ancestor that Chaos liked or served Chaos. Make sense?**

 **But then I realized, 'Wait, not all of the super powered Mobians have the same 'talents'. Hence the three categories.**

 **Knuckles and the other guardians would fall into the blood category since they can call upon the emeralds, but do not physically use it. I know what you're thinking: "What about Hyper-Knuckles?" Well that came up like...once? In all the other games, Knuckles never turned pink or anything like that. So I'm guessing Chaos just granted him a favor, but only that once because Sonic needed all the help he could get. Yes, I know they were fighting Chaos but don't question my logic!**

 **The second type, physical, is probably the most common. Some examples would be Sonic (super speed), Shadow (super speed, chaos spear, chaos control, chaos blast, etc.), Silver (telekinesis), and Blaze (pyro kinesis. Yes, I know she uses the Sol Emeralds but hey! I'm just listing examples). All of their powers either come from inside them (telekinesis, chaos spear, etc.) or manifest themselves in some way (Sonic's super speed).**

 **And then we have the last type. Okay, to be honest, I had no idea where I was going with this. I originally was thinking along the lines of, 'Well we have to have that weird type that no one knows what it means.' And then it hit me, "Where the heck did Mephiles come from?" Okay, okay, the eternal sun god and blah, blah, blah, but to be honest, I never really believed in that guy in the franchise. My thoughts are that Solaris is just a break off of Chaos, which is why when it exploded it split into two different beings, Iblis and Mephiles. But we're not going into the horrible storyline of Sonic '06, or I'll be here all day. Back on subject, Mephiles and Iblis (and technically Solaris) are Zena type because you can't really explain them. Maybe at one point they were a person that was corrupted by the dark side of Chaos. I don't know. But that's what Zena is. People or beings that obviously have chaotic energy, but can't be explained.**

 **So there's my view on Chaos and the emeralds. Again, if you have any questions or don't agree, I'd love to hear them.**

 **Another thing to point out: Knuckles sort of pulled away from Earth for a second when he was talking about the Dark Form. I have this idea… We never see Knuckles Mother (at least not that I'm aware of...maybe in Archie comics, but it's more focused on his Father) and I've never mentioned her before in the story. She's not on the island, so she probably died or left. I have this idea… I'm not going into detail but maybe something happened with a Dark Form and his Mother. Just saying.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I can't wait to see what happens next. Next time, Miles with Frank and Bernice. Okay let's be honest. This is going to be a really nice break for Miles.**

 **Please Review! (;**


	20. A Sister's Haunting

_***Fangirl screaming***_

 **OH MY CHAOS! QUANTUM27 YOU'RE AMAZING!**

 **Okay, I'm calming down a little… *deep breaths* I want to scream so badly but I'm sort of in a library so… Yeah. Anyway, a GIANT THANK YOU to Quantum27 for making a fan art for Miles from Home! I am so freaking out that you did one! And it's amazing! Anyone who wants to see it, it's on tumblr. Same user name profile. Holy Chaos, I love it! It makes me so sad… Which now that I think about it is sort of strange that I love it… Okay, moving on.**

 **Comments on Reviews (and chaos, there are a lot):**

 **Quantum27: More theories, I can do. (; And I have to agree that most of my theories have a mix of a bunch of games, comics, and tv shows. It get's a little confusing sometimes, doesn't it? And that Super Sonic makes me want to crawl under a bed and never come out. Ugh! He's worse than Scourge! Sonic's confusion regarding the Chaos Emeralds makes sense as he isn't exactly the brightest hedgehog in the world right? And when he knows it all of the bat, you have to wonder where the heck he learned this stuff. And once again, I love the fan art! I'm still freaking out about it. And if you want to do more, be my guest! I'd love to see it! ...Question: I don't think I know about Sonic Fighters so I have no idea what you're talking about. What is it? And I'm sorry you had to read all that.**

 **Autumn: Milk? Sure, why not? Thanks, I'm glad you understood it. I was afraid it would get too confusing for people.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Wow...that made my day. Thanks. I wouldn't say I'm a tomboy, but I wouldn't say I'm a girly-girl either… Mmm…. Hedgewolf! (;**

 **gwencarson126: I am so sorry I made you cry… If it helps, I totally cried while writing it. And I knew what was going to happen! And I agree. DOWN WITH BULLIES.**

 **Creamlovr777: I'm glad you like it. (;**

 **that guy who does things: XD I'm just saying… Although you can thank my co-writer for that line. I had it worded a little different. They changed it up and now… XD**

 **LibraGeek: Mmm… I don't think I'd put Tails in that category just because I'm pretty sure the second tail comes from a gene mutation or two. Not Chaos powers. I will do my best to NOT get stressed...although it does take a lot to get me stressed. Mostly when I procrastinate. THEN I'm stressed.**

 **GlowingGem: Hope you like it!**

 _ **ATTENTION EVERYONE:**_ **I need to apologize. Last time I said, "Next time, Miles with Frank and Bernice. Okay let's be honest. This is going to be a really nice break for Miles." Well… I LIED. What I lied about… well you'll just have to see.**

 **Let's Move Out!**

Miles POV:

"Please pass the potatoes," I asked Bernice. The she-wolf smiled and cheerfully obliged. Across the table, Frank chuckled, "At this rate you'll be a french fry by the end of dinner."

I smiled and piled up a big helping. "Well, at least I'll be skinny."

"Not while you keep eating this much." Frank chuckled.

Bernice rolled her eyes. "He's a growing boy. Let him eat. At least it's healthy food."

"What's wrong with extra cookies?"

"Frank!"

I smiled down at my plate. It had been two weeks since my birthday, and the Roberts had been very kind to me. Frank taught me how to fix certain elements in cars and other vehicles (such as biplanes). I had picked up fixing the small household appliances almost immediately, that being my main job now. To be honest, I rather enjoyed it. When I got old enough, I planned to save up for a shop just like Frank's.

Bernice had been teaching me as well. She showed me how to help clean and cook around the house and even let me help out in the garden sometimes. Overall, I'd have to say it was the best two weeks of my life since Son-

My smile faded.

"-in the shop, don't you think Miles?"

I snapped up, "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

"It's been pretty quiet in the shop the past few days, don't you think?" Frank asked, his head slightly tilted. Slowly I nodded, then went back to my potatoes, trying to take my mind off of… him.

The couple must have noticed my mood, but didn't say anything. They were really good about not pushing me. Still, Frank probably felt bad which is why he offered to take me on another flying lesson after dinner. I readily agreed and quickly finished my food. Bernice hadn't approved at first, but she finally had allowed me to keep flying, thank chaos. Around nine o'clock, I landed the biplane for the first time with minor bumps.

"Nice job sonny boy!" Frank patted me on the back after we climbed out of the cockpits. "We'll continue tomorrow, okay? The wife is going to be mad enough at me for letting us stay out so late."

As if it had been rehearsed, Bernice stormed out of the house and started yelling at Frank, who only gave a weak excuse about losing track of the time. I made my escape and went up to my room.

That night, I had trouble falling asleep. It wasn't that I was overly excited about anything or my brain just didn't want to shut down, I just couldn't sleep. Insomnia, you know. Finally, around midnight, I closed my eyes and drifted off to bed.

* * *

First thought: Why is it so cold? I opened my eyes and discovered that I wasn't at the Robert's anymore.

Slowly, I sat up and looked around. I had been laying on an old wooden park bench that appeared to be on some sort of harbor, since the ground was wood paneled and splintery. That, and it was really, really foggy. After about twenty feet, everything in the distance was blurred and unrecognizable.

I stood up and walked over to the railing. Peering down, I realized in shock that I was on a bridge. And not just any bridge… It was the bridge I had met Sonic on, back in my old town. Feeling confused, I stepped away from the posts. I gently tugged on one of my tails. _Okay, so I feel pain… Is this a dream? Or was all of that a dream?_

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted Sonic to have been a dream. While I was trying to figure out what in Chaos was going on, I didn't notice the single figure that appeared out of the mist until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

" _Miles…"_

My fur stood on end. I knew that voice… but that was impossible. I turned around and stared. After a few moments I managed to whisper her name, "Lucy?"

My older sister smiled down at me. She looked exactly the same way I had last seen her alive, tall, with almost gold fur and bright blue eyes. She was wearing blue jeans with a white t-shirt and had a blue headband tying back her hair. The only difference was her eyes. Only one thing had changed. Just before Lucy had jumped, her eyes had looked shattered with sorrow and pain. Now they were bright and joyful, as if nothing had ever happened with her stupid boyfriend.

" _Miles…"_ She repeated, a smile spreading across her face.

I hated to admit it, but I completely broke down. Lucy gently hugged me and sat down on the bench, placing me on her lap like she had done many years ago, as I buried my face into her shirt, trying and failing to hold in the tears. Ten minutes later, I finally managed to calm down. Lucy smiled at me again, wiping away the last tears.

" _Feel better?"_

I nodded.

" _Good."_

I frowned slightly. Lucy looked the same, but her voice sounded almost far away and echoey. And come to think of it, I was pretty sure that it had never been this foggy or quiet here before. "Lucy… Where are we?"

" _Don't you recognize this place?"_ She brushed her fingers through my tails, flattening the fur.

I nodded, "Yes, but I don't think it was ever… this way."

" _Well, it is just a dream, Miles."_

That got my attention. "But it feels so real… And if you're a dream, then why are you so… alive?"

My sister sighed, _"I may_ _ **feel**_ _alive Miles, but I can very much assure you that I am dead."_

I sighed. "Well, _that's_ certainly cheerful."

She chuckled. _"I know what you mean. But tell me, little brother: what do you remember about this place?"_

I had to force myself from scowling. "Nothing good, I can tell you that. You should know. This is neighborhood where I almost simultaneously got thrown out of the house, beaten up every other day, and watched you throw yourself off a bridge. Nothing I really like to dwell on."

" _Surely there's at least_ one _good thing you remember?"_

Sonic. He saved me.

I shook my head furiously. No, no, no I refused- **refused** \- to think about him. I learned my lesson. It would only lead to more pain.

"N-no, I can't." I said to my sister, avoiding eye contact.

She smiled, a bit too much understanding in her eyes. _"Oh Miles,"_ she said, squeezing me into a hug. _"We both know that's not true. He was good to you."_

This time I didn't bother to hide my grimace. "Yeah, right, until he decided I was too much trouble and left me on my own."

" _You always did see the worst in people,"_ Lucy gave a small smile.

"It's all there ever was."

" _Until you met Maurice."_

I pressed my ears against my head. Not listening, not listening, _not listening.._.

Lucy gave a small chuckle. _"When are you going to listen to your heart?"_

Hmm, let me think… never. Hearts break too easily.

" _Miles…"_ Sis sounded tired, as if she was already tired of this conversation. _"You need to learn to stop jumping to conclusions."_

"I'm not! He left me, and for no good reason except that he was sick of toting me around! What other explanation is there?"

Lucy didn't answer, and at first I thought that I had won the argument. Then she sighed, _"Miles, what am I going to have to do to make you see the truth?"_ This time it was my turn to not answer.

"...I don't know." I mumbled, crossing my arms and staring at my feet.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, Lucy straightened up. She pushed me off her lap gently and stood up. _"I think I know a way… Miles, do you know why Sonic pushed you away?"_

"He didn't want me."

" _No, I mean what event made him leave you?"_

I frowned a bit confused. "What?"

Lucy reached out a hand to me. _"Come on. I need to show you something."_ I took her hand and was suddenly swept through the mist.

When the fog cleared enough so that I could see, I found myself back in the center of town, although the place was a mess. Buildings were crushed and rubble was scattered around. In the center of the disaster was a giant robot that looked vaguely familiar.

" _Do you recognize this?"_

Something told me I should, but nothing really made sense. I peered around trying to figure out what was going on. My eye fell upon a figure near the robot. My heart skipped a few beats.

Sonic was laying on the ground, not moving. Almost instinctively I began to rush over, but stopped after a few steps. Ugh… stupid memories. He doesn't care, so why should-?

"Sonic!" a very familiar voice cried out. I stared captivated as, well, _I_ ran over to the hedgehog.

 **((Okay, to prevent MAJOR confusion we're just going to call past Miles, Tails and present Miles...well he's narrating so he's 'I' etc.))**

Tails shook Sonic, trying to wake him up.

I stared then looked at Lucy. "Where are we?"

" _The real question is when are we, Miles. And the answer is one day before Sonic left you."_ Lucy motioned for me to continue watching.

"Any last words, freak?" It was then I noticed the fat man in the giant robot. He looked...really confused. The robot was warming up to fire off more missiles and Tails was looking back and forth between Sonic and the robot.

Suddenly, Tails glared and yelled, "My name is Tails!"

Mentally I smacked myself. Did I really say that? Great, now everyone within earshot at the time must think I'm crazy… While I was berating myself, I watched...myself(?) attack the robot and disable the dumb thing. To be completely honest, I thought past me was awesome. I mean, he just took out a giant robot by pulling out a few wires.

"Did this really happen?" I asked Lucy a little sceptical.

She just smiled and nodded. Then she pointed back at the scene basically telling me to pay attention.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sonic sit up, rubbing his head and looking very dazed. "What happened to him?" I mumbled under my breath.

" _One of the robot's arms exploded in his face."_

"That would explain the singed fur… Wait, what?"

" _Miles, pay attention to the whole picture. You're missing the important part."_

"A giant explosion in the hedgehog's face isn't important?"

" _Miles…"_

"Okay, okay I'm pay atten- Sweet Chaos!" That last part came from the fact that the insane Robotnik decided to shoot off some rockets in Tails' general direction since he had destroyed his robot.

One of the shots completely missed, but almost hit the blue hedgehog on the ground. Sonic's head snapped up and he caught sight of Tails.

The other two missiles collided on one another barely a few inches away from the flying fox. He dropped like a sack of rocks.

" _ **TAILS!**_ "

Never in my whole life did a scream penetrate my soul in the way Sonic's did. In my mind, everything became silent and sort of blurred. Behind me, Lucy placed her hands on my shoulder and slowly led me over to Tails.

The first thing that registered in my mind was a boom that I later realized was Sonic breaking the sound barrier. When the two of us rounded the ruble we found a pink hedgehog pulling the fox out of the rubble. Pulling _me_ out of the rubble.

"I guess that's why I don't remember this…" I mumbled.

Lucy dropped down behind me to eye level and pointed as the hedgehog started CPR. I stayed quiet.

When Sonic showed up after a little bit and took over for her, Lucy stood up. "I think we've seen enough here." The scene dissolved into mist and we once again found ourselves on the bridge.

I just stared across the foggy water in shock. My sister attempted to comfort me, but I shook her away. "No! I don't understand it!" I spread my arms out in a questioning manner. "If Sonic cared about me, then why did he leave!? I understand he was worried about me getting hurt, but I helped him! Why would he just leave without any explanation?"

" _Well, to be fair, you didn't really give him a chance to explain anything."_

"What are you talking about?"

" _Up on the cliff, above town… Sonic left you there… You yelled at him and wouldn't let him explain himself… Remember, Miles?"_

Sheepishly, I rubbed the back of my head. "Oh yeah… Well... he should have explained right from the start, not wait until I'm an emotional wreck."

Lucy shrugged. "Guys do not generally share their feelings from the start. They try and make it as simple as possible. Besides, the whole time you were yelling, Sonic was trying to shove his emotions inside. Leaving you hurt him more than you realize."

"It hurt _him_ to leave _me_? Yeah, right." I crossed my arms and scowled.

Lucy rolled her eyes. _"Must I show you everything?"_ She waved her hands and the fog picked up speed until we were standing in a very, very familiar scene.

About ten feet to my right was the cliff above the town where Sonic had abandoned me. I watched myself storm off, crying. I expected Lucy to try and follow me, but she stayed stationary, not averting her gaze from the blue hedgehog.

My own focus drifted over to the hedgehog. As soon as Tails was out of sight, to my great astonishment, Sonic dropped to the ground and started crying. He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his head in his knees, hands over his head. Very faintly, I could hear him talking to himself, but his words were impossible to make out.

After a few seconds, he lifted his head and stared in the direction where I had run off a few minutes previously. "I hate me too, Tails. I really do."

He buried his head again and began crying, eventually falling on his side and falling asleep.

Lucy sat down right next to the hedgehog and motioned for me to join her. _"Take one look at him and tell me if he's happy that you're gone."_

With great care, I examined the hedgehog. His cheeks were stained with tears and his eyes were squeezed shut. Every once in awhile he would mumble something in his sleep, most of them to soft to make out. Several times he shifted in his sleep, never seeming to find the perfect position. After several minutes I shook my head. "He looks terrible."

" _Does he seem happy?"_

"No…" I wrapped my arms around my legs. "But if he didn't want me to leave, then why did…"

"He do it? Let me put it this way. Sonic has had… many emotional challenges in life. Some of them… some of them have involved watching close ones get hurt or worse. He does not want to go through that again. So when you were hurt, he got scared. You almost died, Miles. He was worried."

I stared at the sleeping past hedgehog, "He was worried… about me?"

"He still is."

The mist dissolved and suddenly Lucy and I were standing in a forest. Sonic was asleep on the ground under a tree, the sky dark. He mumbled something in his sleep and turned over. This continued for several minutes until he was almost thrashing around.

I took a few steps towards the hedgehog, but Lucy held me back. _"You can't help him. We're not really here."_

Suddenly, the hedgehog sat up straight, covered in a cold sweat. He breathed heavily, trying to calm down. I stared at him, the fear in his eyes prominent.

"I- I-"

" _I know, Tails. I know you didn't know."_

For once, I didn't mind the nickname. Almost instinctively, I reached out to touch the hedgehog, but Lucy stopped me again. I shook my head. "This complicates things…"

" _I know you love the Roberts, but that's not where you're needed. Wanted? Yes, you're wanted there. But needed?"_

I nodded slowly. "Oh Sonic…"

The hedgehog smiled slightly, as if he had heard me. "Tails…"

Lucy turned me towards her. She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug. _"I love you, Miles. I hope this helped you out. Promise me you'll always be a good boy?"_

"I promise."

She hugged me tighter. _"I'm always with you… remember that."_

I looked back at Sonic, and was shocked to find two older hedgehogs standing behind him. One was blue, the other purple. Each were smiling sadly but lovingly down at Sonic.

"Lucy… who are they?" I asked nodding in their direction.

Lucy turned around and smiled. Still smiling she looked at me. _"That's not for me to tell. Just remember them, little brother."_ She gave another hug and then stepped away. _"Good luck Miles."_

"W-wait, where are you going? Lucy! _**Lucy!**_ " I shouted, but my sister was already fading into the mist.

* * *

I snapped awake to birds chirping and the sun streaming through my window.

"Lucy?" I said groggily, slowly looking around the room, as if expecting my ghost of a sister to be there. Nothing. With a sigh, I laid back down, not wanting to get up.

"Miles! Breakfast!" Bernice called from downstairs. Very reluctantly, I climbed out of bed and wandered to the table. I must have looked exhausted because Bernice started fussing over me as soon as I came in.

"Goodness to Chaos, how did you sleep last night? You look as if you were haunted by a ghost!" She started straightening my fur while Frank watched from the garage door, rather amused.

I smiled at her words, but didn't say anything.

We ate breakfast very quietly and very quickly, since Frank and I were running a little late for work.

After he kissed his wife goodbye (uh, gross much?), Frank led me out the door. "Come on, Miles! We've got quite a bit of work to do."

I worked quietly and finished all my jobs, but unlike the previous times, my thoughts were far from my work.

 _Sonic…_

 _Where are you?_

 **Well… That was interesting. What's with all the ghost's? Seriously, let's have Maria come haunt Shadow, shall we? Just kidding, I don't think Shadow could handle it.**

 **You may have noticed that Tails almost found out about Sonic's parents, but I decided that Lucy wouldn't have told him the story, just because it's not her tale to tell. Make sense?**

 **Also, I have poll on my profile that I would love you all to respond to. It involves my next story (which I'm already writing, but have not yet posted), and I'd love your feedback.**

 **Oh chaos, we're getting close to the end of the story… I'm so sad, yet so happy! What about all of you?**

 **Please Review!**

 **P.S.- How'd I do GlowingGem?**


	21. Nightmares

**Okay, I've been getting a lot of questions about my poll. Here's my answers. 1. You have to be a registered member to actually vote. Sorry, that's not my rule. It's the websites. 2. You can only vote once. 3. I forgot to put the poll up on my profile. Oops… Sorry everyone! So now it's up and you should be able to vote. 4. If you're not a registered member, but you want to vote then just leave a review on one of my old stories (NOT Miles from Home). (Then it doesn't get hard to keep track of them). Hope that cleared up everything. 5. Poll is at the very top.**

 **Comments:**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: (;**

 **Autumn: On the bright side, sequel time! And I am going to do my best and make the next one just as good as the first. Promise. And you're fine. I had family over the weekend as well and was barely able to type. Hope I answered your question on the poll in the comments above.**

 **GlowingGem: The reason I did it in a dream was because Sonic's parents showed up in a dream so I was trying to be consistent. I can see Shadow's reaction as well (although each time I picture it, it comes out differently. Sometimes he's happy, and other times he has a mental break down… You know I'm not going to ever do that. Bad idea…)**

 **Quantum27: I was wondering where you were… Anyway, I was shocked you actually did Fan art. Thank you! It makes me so much more confident. And yeah, I noticed that typo later. My bad… Poor Tails… I would tell him that, but that would make it less...fun. No, not fun. Never mind.**

 **To keep from being too confused, I'm just going to guess how much time I've had pass and say that it's been two months since Sonic and Tails split ways.**

Sonic's POV:

Have you ever had the feeling like someone is watching you?

Okay, that sounded dumb. Better question: Have you ever felt like someone was watching you when you know for a fact that they are not?

You know what? This isn't coming out right. Let me explain.

About three days after the whole, 'This is the Master Emerald' incident, I had a nightmare.

And when I say nightmare, I mean _NIGHTMARE_. I couldn't remember most of it when I woke up, but I knew that: 1. It had my family. 2. Tails was in it. And 3. Robotnik was doing something that I really, really didn't like. I also knew that whatever it was about, it scared the living daylights out of me. After a very unrestful sleep, I woke up in a cold sweat, panting and shaking.. I stood up and looked around, trying to remember what the dream was about, but for the life of me I couldn't hold on it. Yeah, I know what you're thinking; 'It's a nightmare. Get over it already.' Well, that wasn't the weird thing.

While I was trying to recall the memory, I had the sudden impression that someone was standing behind me. But the feeling was...familiar, almost as if…

Against my will a small smile appeared. "...Tails?"

I shook my head, trying to regain some logic. How in the world would Tails be on Angel Island? It's not only impossible, but insane. Well, it's official. I had lost my mind.

The impression vanished and I sighed. "Stupid brain…" I rolled back onto the ground and fell back asleep.

* * *

Two days later, Knuckles dragged me back to the giant emerald. Why? I had no idea.

"Knucklehead! Kindly explain to me why I'm here?"

"Uh…"

"Why am I here?"

"Uh…"

"I will ask one more time, _why am I here?_ "

"...And where are we going?"

"I'm being serious, man! Why am I here?"

"I have no idea."

I crossed my arms and began to tap my foot impatiently. Knuckles scowled.

"Look hedgehog, I don't know why you're here exactly. I just know that's what Chaos wants." He motioned towards the emerald.

With that happy thought out in the open, I took a few steps away from the emerald. "Um...I'm going to go with _thanks_ , but no thanks."

"You don't really have a choice," the echidna growled as he sat down. After deciding it wasn't worth the energy, I very unwillingly sat down next to him. "So... we just sit here."

"Yep."

"Staring at the forest."

"Yep."

"Not talking."

"Yep."

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Tails' POV:

I was trying to figure out how to tell the Robert's about Sonic. Now, I trusted Lucy, but I wasn't an idiot. My ghost of a sister shows up and tells me to find Sonic, I'll consider it, but not dive in head first. So, first step: ask Frank and Bernice what they think.

How come the first part had to be so hard?

"Miles, ease up on the throttle." Frank called through the comlink.

I snapped out of my daydream and complied. "What are we doing after this Frank?"

The old wolf had woken me up extra early to fit a flying lesson in the day. That could only mean one thing: very busy day expected.

"I got a call from an old client who's bringing in his motor boat. Apparently, he rammed it into the dock yesterday and he wants us to fix it up."

I sighed. With a project like that, I decided I'd bring up Sonic later. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Narrator's POV:

Robotnik was puzzled. And angry. He was _very_ angry.

Two months ago, Sonic the Hedgehog had been in the company with a two-tailed fox who had destroyed his robot in one swoop. Either the freak was lucky, or a genius. Whatever he was, Robotnik wanted to know. That wasn't the only reason. The hedgehog had been more annoying the past two years and Robotnik was done playing around with him. But Sonic wasn't called that for nothing… if he had a weakness, Robotnik knew it first hand. Unfortunately, only a few days later, the hedgehog was alone again.

In an attempt to find the fox, Robotnik had sent out hundreds of search squadrons, their sole mission being to find any sign of the fox kit. Of course, it helped that Sonic had suddenly just vanished off the face of the earth (Robotnik was _still_ baffled on how he was able to pull off that). But he knew that the Hedgehog would show up sooner or later, and he didn't want another ending in disaster.

The Doctor slammed his fist on the control panel. " _Where-is-that-_ _ **freak?**_ " He snarled to himself. Annoyed, he leaned back in his chair. "Report in all squadrons." He watched the video feed scan by for a few minutes until a reply came. "Freeze G-73!"

The robot complied. "Zoom in." said Robotnik, curious.

The blurry picture came up showing an older wolf climb out of a biplane along with... a yellow fox. A smile curled up Robotnik's face. "Focus." Again, the bot responded.

The scientist sneered. "Well, there you are…" He pushed a button, "All bots in the area remain on sentry at that house. I'll be there shortly." True, Robotnik didn't usually like to go near G.U.N., but in this case he'd make an exception. Without another word, he boarded his orb and flew towards the town. Today was a good day.

* * *

Tails POV:

Who, I ask you, rams their boat into a dock? No really, it makes sense if it's some idiot teenager, but this guy just seemed to not understand how he had hit the gas and throttled the engine. The boat itself looked as if it had been dropped on the ground from hundreds of feet. It took all my strength to keep my expression neutral when the customer dropped it off, but after he left... Frank and I just stared in horror and amusement.

"Well...there's something you don't see everyday," Frank mumbled as he started to gather tools and supplies.

I followed after a few seconds. "We're going to fix _that_?"

"My policy is, 'Anything you can break, I can build better'."

"You need a new policy."

Frank laughed and began to instruct me on what to do. The two of us worked until lunch time then took a break out back near the barn.

"Well," Frank started, "I can honestly say that is one of the hardest things I've ever had to fix."

"It's not fixed yet." I mumbled, "You have to completely replace the front of the boat and engine, not to mention tune up the motor and basically re-build just about everything else."

Frank smiled. "Well, at least I'll have some help. Two times the hands makes the job two times as fun."

"Yeah...I've been meaning to talk to you about that," I rubbed the back of my neck.

Frank looked over at me a bit confused, "What are you talking about, sonny?"

"Frank… erg… Mr. Roberts… you see, about two months ago I, um-"

The wolf's eyes suddenly grew wide. "GET DOWN!" He grabbed my arm and we rolled out of the way just as the bench we were sitting on was blasted to mere splinters. With my ears still ringing, Frank pulled me up and dragged me into the barn. The two of us took cover as an angry voice began to yell.

"NO, NO! I TOLD YOU TO CAPTURE, NOT INCINERATE, YOU BUMBLING BUFFOONS!"

My blood ran cold. I knew that voice. Sure enough, when I peeked out from the barn, Doctor Robotnik was sitting in his orb with a small squadron of bees and swatbots trailing him. I closed the door and pressed myself against it.

"We may be in trouble…" I breathed, my mouth full of sawdust.

Frank looked out the window. "I think you're right." He rubbed his hands nervously. "Alright... Miles, I need you to go out the back door and run into the woods while I distract whoever that manic is."

Was he insane? He'd be blown to bits if Robotnik had his way with him! "Frank, I'm not letting you die because of me. It's my fault he's here anyway."

"Miles, I don't know what you're talking about, but your safety comes first. You need to get out of here, right now."

"I'm not leaving you and Bernice here to deal with my problems! This is my fight!"

"Miles-"

The barn door was blasted open and we ran for cover. I silently prayed that Bernice had the sense to go hide in the shop if she saw the disasters taking place outside.

"Oh, Tails! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Robotnik's voice called out sweetly, "I've been looking all over for you. You've had me worried. Don't hide, I promise I won't hurt you!"

For some strange reason, I wasn't tempted.

Frank motioned for me to stay quiet and stay put. Before I could respond he stood up and put his hands up, "Whoa, don't shoot! I'm not resisting or anything."

"Where is the fox?"

"Fox? What fox?"

"Don't play idiot with me, Frankie. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Now, tell me- _Where is the fox?"_

Silently, I cursed Frank for being so dang noble. But without any other idea, I started to crawl towards the back door, staying out of sight of the maniac.

I didn't get very far. Robotnik lost his temper and ordered his troops to attack; Frank dove behind a table. Lasers filled the air, one managing to get a lucky shot and hitting one of my tails. I wasn't able to hold in the scream of pain, but somehow got out of the building.

I ran as fast as I could towards the house. My tail was still stinging and with one look back I knew I wouldn't be able to fly. Blood was dripping from where the laser had nicked me. I shouted desperately, "Bernice!"

The she-wolf threw open the door and ran out to meet me as several bee bot things led chase. She grabbed my arm and the two of us ran towards the forest.

"Not so fast, Mutant!"

I looked back to see Frank being held by one of the bot's at gunpoint, struggling to free himself from the villain's grasp. I pulled myself out of Bernice's grip and slowed myself to a stop. Behind me, the woman gasped and started telling me to run. Robotnik shut her up by ordering one of his bots to fire a warning shot.

"Now that I have your attention, I have a proposition for you." Robotnik motioned towards the hostage. "You surrender yourself and I'll promise to let the two wolfs go free." He gave a cold smile. "If you don't...well, I think I'll take you anyway. But keep in mind that some of you may not walk away from the experience."

I balled my fists, but with my tail injured I knew I couldn't fly or fight. Frank was frantically shaking his head and motioning for me to run with Bernice.

Quickly I ran through the situation. There were a dozen robots; six bee-shooting things and six Swatbots. The bees were the main concern if I was running, since I knew they could fly at pretty high speeds (after all, they were made to hunt a certain speeding blue hedgehog). If I tried to fight, the concern would be the Swatbot; heavily armored and equipped with powerful lasers that could burn me to a crisp. But I might have been able to take them, if my tail wasn't injured.

And there was the matter of Frank and Bernice. Frank wouldn't last a minute and I knew Bernice wasn't a fast runner. I might make it out, but the two of them would be dead before the fight even started. If I tried running, I might make it about three miles, but there was no way I could outrun the bots.

Which left my last option. If I handed myself over I would probably be subjected to a lot of unpleasantness, but Frank and Bernice may be left alone. I didn't trust Robotnik's word, but it wasn't like I had much of a choice either.

Very slowly, I walked forward with my hands above my head. "Let him go. I surrender. Just… just leave them alone, okay?" Although I tried to sound strong and fearless, my voice somehow cracked at the end.

A horrible leer appeared on the Doctor's face. "I'm so glad you see it my way…" He snapped his fingers at the bot that held Frank. The wolf was unceremoniously tossed to the ground. A different swatbot grabbed me around the waist, a little too tight to be comfortable. Bernice ran over to her husband and held him tight as he stood up. The pair glared at Robotnik, the mixture of hate and terror in their eyes evident.

The scientist gave a smile, "Usually, I'd kill the both of you. But I need you to send a message. Tell Sonic that if he ever wants to see his little sidekick again," The bot holding me passed me up to the orb where Robotnik was. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me in front, thrusting me into a cramped metal cage. He slammed the door shut, locking me inside. "Then he'll meet me at the old factory from two summers ago. He'll know what I'm talking about."

Robotnik motioned for his bees to lead Frank and Bernice inside then grabbed the controls. "Sit down, freak."

"My name is **Miles.** "

"Whatever." He hit the power and I was knocked to the dirty floor of the cage. We sped off into the sky, soaring higher and higher in the clouds. I looked down just in time to catch a glimpse of Frank and Bernice's petrified faces before they became nothing more than two insignificant dots on the wide expanse of the city.

I don't know how long it took before we landed. Minutes. Maybe even hours. It's hard to keep track of time when you're being jostled around at the bottom of a grimy metal crate. But eventually we landed

* * *

Sonic's POV:

I have no idea when, but at some point I fell asleep while sitting with Knuckles. I had the worst dream of my entire life (and I'm including that one where there was a chili dog famine): Tails had been kidnapped by Robotnik. It was so awful and vivid that I snapped awake to Knuckles yelling at me.

"Hedgehog! Wake up!"

"Wha… Where… Wass happening? Wassamatter?"

"It's just a nightmare, for Chaos sake!" The echidna leaned back against a pillar. "It took me five whole minutes to wake you up. Seriously, stop thrashing. You woke me up!"

I rubbed the back of my head. "Sorry, Knux…"

He closed his eyes and was silent for a few moments. "Who's Tails?"

My blood went cold. "He's...an old friend. And how did you-"

"I think there's some folks about fifty miles away who didn't hear you screaming."

No wonder I woke him up. And no wonder my throat was parched… "I'm getting a drink." I said, getting up and wandering over to a nearby river, dipping my hand in and bringing it to my lips. Just as I finished and began climbing the steps back to the Master Emerald, my forehead throbbed, and an excruciating pounding behind my eyes brought me to my knees. I could hear myself crying out in pain, and then everything went black.

* * *

Tail's POV:

Robotnik had one of the bots dump me on the ground while he was rummaging through a box of junk.

"I know I have one in here… Ah, here it is." He pulled out a brown plastic collar that had a small black box with wires running through it. He looked it over, made a small tweak, and then motioned for me to come over.

I stood there for a second, then attempted to run in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, one of the Swatbot's grabbed me and carried me over.

Robotnik chuckled softly, "Are you scared?"

Of course I was scared. This lunatic haunted my nightmares. I may be really smart, but I'm still only seven! I didn't tell him that, but looked at the ground, trying to hide the panic that enveloped my entire being.

While I was distracted, Robotnik swept forward and wrapped the collar around my neck, locking it before I had a chance to try and pull it off. I grabbed the thing with my hands and attempted to pull it off, but almost immediately I heard a small humming sound and seconds later a large shock of electricity raced through my body. I let out a cry of pain and dropped to my knees, tears streaming down my face.

"What is this thing?" I gasped already having a good idea what was around my neck.

Robotnik gave another one of his creepy grins, "Oh, nothing much, just an electric collar. Let me speak plainly; if you try to leave the premises without my permission the collar will shock you. If you are doing something I don't like I can push a button and it will shock you. If you try and pull or pick the lock off then it will shock you. Get the picture?"

I was now officially freaking out. "What do you want with me?" My brain wanted to scream, but the sentence came out as more of a croak.

Robotnik's sneer grew larger. "Well that's the question isn't it? The first thing is sort of a revenge seeker, no offense. I don't like people who don't trash my robots…" He glared at me pointedly. I remained silent. "Second… well, a certain hedgehog we both know is very hard to catch and you're the first person he's actually seemed to care about for quite sometime. I didn't even think it would ever be possible, but you somehow got past his guard…"

"Guard?" I was a little confused at that last part, but Robotnik ignored me.

"And finally, you disabled my robot rather quickly, which means you must be a very smart boy, mmm?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "And you've been working at a machine shop for a bit… oh, don't look so surprised. I have bots everywhere." Robotnik motioned towards his robot army. I had to admit, he had a lot.

"I have a need of your...skills." Robotnik smirked. "You see, I've been trying to build a robot to defeat Sonic, but it's been slow going seeing as I've been so preoccupied looking for you. But now that I have you, it can be finished in double time!" As he was talking, I was backing away, every cell of logic in my body telling me to run, but I was too paralyzed with fear to stand up. When he was done I didn't say anything.

The doctor walked over and grabbed my arm. Roughly he dragged me over to a giant lump under a tarp. "If it's not finished by the time Sonic is back… well, I'll see if I can spare a bit of you for the hedgehog to bury." He leaned in very close, "Get the picture, little boy?"

I felt something shoved into my arms and looked down to find a rolled up blueprint. My hands shaking I opened the roll and examined the drawing (which looked like a ten year old had drawn them… seriously, can this guy not draw properly?). After a few minutes I managed to whisper, "Where… where do you keep your tools?"

Robotnik's grin reappeared, "I'm so glad you see it my way."

I squeezed my eyes shut, holding in the screams that were threatening to break out. _Sonic… Please don't come. Please, please, please…_

* * *

Sonic's POV:

"Sonic! Sonic!... **SONIC!** " I snapped awake to Knuckles shaking me.

"Finally! Hedgehog, what the heck happened back there? I thought you were just getting a drink!"

My hands were trembling. I stared at them, trying to hide the terror that was threatening to come loose. It had all seemed so real…

"Hey, listen to me, Sonic! What's going on here?"

I stood up and my legs immediately collapsed under me. The echidna grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back to the ground. It was then I noticed I was back by the Master Emerald. The echidna must have dragged me up the stairs when I blacked out.

"Sonic! What's wrong with you, hedgehog?!"

Without replying, I leaned back against a pillar and closed my eyes. It had felt so real… Tails' screams of pain… I winced slightly when I recalled that one of his furry tails was stiff with dried brown blood. Robotnik didn't even have the decency to bandage it.

"Sonic! Say something! Anything! Hedgehog, SNAP OUT OF IT!"

I opened my eyes and glared at the echidna, "Do you mind? I'm thinking!"

Knuckles visibly calmed down. Then he hit me.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"I thought you had gone insane or something! Next time, tell me you're alright, immediately! For the love of Chaos!"

With a small smile I replied, "Why Knuckles, do I sense that I'm growing on you?"

"No! If you were insane, I was going to throw you off the island!"

Somehow I doubted that statement. I shook myself and went back to the dream. Tails looked so afraid… _Sonic, you just got spooked! He's fine, stop worrying! Vanilla's taking good care of him, he'll be alright._ My hands still hadn't stopped shaking.

Knuckles seemed to notice, "What did you see?"

"It was...nothing. Just another nightmare. I'm just paranoid,that's all."

He glanced over at the Master Emerald. "Maybe...but maybe not. Chaos Energy is a strange thing. Close proximity could mean visions of past, present, and sometimes even future events. I've had a few myself."

 _Peachy._ "You're not helping, Knuckles."

"I'm just saying."

I closed my eyes and ran through the dream again. If there was even the slightest possibility that it was real… My eyes snapped open.

"I have to go." I stood up and started down the stairs.

"Go? Go where? You're on a floating island!" Knuckles followed behind.

I didn't answer but continued walking until I was on the edge of the island. Nervously, I peered down at the water. Oh Chaos, I hate water.

Knuckles joined me shortly, "What are you doing?"

"Which way is the main land?"

"Why?"

"Just tell me."

The echidna stared for a few moments then pointed left. "About fifty miles that way. Why do you ask? You can't build a raft, and you can't swim. So what do you plan on doing?"

I turned around and gave a nervous smile. "Well…" Without another word, I tilted backwards and fell off the island edge.

Startled, I saw Knuckles lean over the edge, his expression full of shock and confusion. He laid down on his stomach and cupped his hands around his mouth. "YOU'RE INSANE!"

"I KNOW!" I yelled as I tumbled through the air hundreds of feet toward the ocean. Half way down I realized that this was a bad idea. _Too late to go back now…_

I straightened up so I was now feet first. Here's a tip: Never try running through the air. It's hard. Twenty feet from the water's surface I closed my eyes and started praying to whatever God that was watching.

 **SPLASH- VRRRRRR…**

I opened my eyes, and then immediately closed them again. Even though I wasn't drowning, I still didn't want to see the water's surface. If anyone ever tells you that running on water is impossible, they're telling the truth...unless you can break the sound barrier. Then you're in luck.

Part of me wondered what Knuckles was thinking. The other part didn't care. All I wanted was to be on dry ground. Sweet, beautiful ground.

After way too much time I collapsed on the beach, my hands and legs trembling with fear and shock. I'll admit that running on water was really cool, but **Chaos,** it was something I _**never, ever**_ wanted to do again.

"Oh, ground! Oh, wonderful, lovely, beautiful ground!" I kissed the sand, then spat it out. That was a stupid idea.

I think that's when I passed out from the shock and the cold.

 **Sonic can run on water...right? I think he's done it before in the comic and in one of the TV shows, but if not... Oh well. He's a blue hedgehog, he already defies the laws of nature. Anyway, Tails is now a hostage of Robotnik and being held for torture! Sure, why not? The two have already seen suicide and murder. Let's just throw in child abuse and Prisoners of War. Chaos, I have issues…**

 **I swear that I never meant for this to be this dramatic. I'm thinking I may need to change the rating for T. What do you guys think?**

 **Anyway, Review! You're all amazing! Hope you have a good week!**


	22. No More

**Let's just get right too it, shall we?**

 **Comments on reviews:**

 **Autumn: I personally hate heights so the fact that Sonic jumped makes me want to scream my head off. I'm so glad you look forward to my updates. I've had followed stories that when they updated I dreaded it.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: We all like to torture our characters. It's one of author's favorite things to do. But Tails isn't being tortured; he is being ripped apart and crumbled to dust. I feel horrible!**

 **Quantum27: Okay, the fact that you thought it was 'T' means I should change it to 'T'. Ugh… I feel horrible about writing a 'T' story! I've been scarred for life by some 'T' stories! Ugh! I don't know all the games, but I do know the recent games and some of the classics. I think I have a ten year gap missing in my brain. Why not? Sonic and Chaos Energy either get along wonderfully, or they have a lot of issues...Lots of issues. And Knuckles is the Guardian. I'd hope he'd know what Chaos Energy can do to people. Thanks!**

 **juancastri11: Don't die. It's bad for your health. (;**

Sonic's POV:

I don't know how long I was out, but it was long enough that the sun had set and was now starting to rise. For a minute, I wondered to myself, _Why am I lying face down in the sand?_ Then the memories of my nightmare came flooding back, just as vivid and gruesome as before.

Then I remembered that I had jumped off a floating island, ran on water, and survived.

I am the man.

But enough complimenting myself. Time to go save Tails.

Time to go _find_ Tails. I'm sure he's fine...right?

I took off running, speeding across hills and valleys until I came to a small town in a quiet farming community. I stopped once to ask for directions to the city then continued to run. With every lightning-fast step I took, I remembered the sounds of Tails' cries of pain, and pushed myself to run faster and faster, until at last I broke the sound barrier. _Sonic, he's fine! Stop worrying about it! Just check on him and make sure he doesn't see you..._

I made it to the outskirts of the city where I had left Tails. I slowed down and began to walk. A boy about my age whizzed past me on a bike, tossing newspapers onto house porches.

"Excuse me!"

He skidded to a halt and stared at me. "You're-"

"Yes, I know. Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm looking for a little fox kid, about yea high and has two tails. Have you seen him?"

The kid continued staring at me for a few seconds then slowly shook his head.

"Okay then, do you know where Mrs. Vanilla lives?"

Now the kid responded. He pointed down the street. "Keep going that way about four blocks, then take a left. Head straight another three blocks then take a right. Her house should be just down the street about five houses."

I nodded a thanks and sped off. That kid now had an interesting story to tell the rest of his life…

A few moments later I screeched to a halt in front of a very familiar house. _Woah, calm yourself down, Tails is fine. Just peak in the back and then leave._

As stealthily as possible, I snuck up to the back window and peaked in. Vanilla was having a tea party with...was that Cream? Wow, she had grown. Last time I had seen the little rabbit she was just a bundle of blankets. No sign of Tails.

 _Okay...maybe he's out in the back...wait a minute, I am in the back._

I straightened up a little. _It wouldn't hurt to knock…_

I walked around the house to the front door and rang the doorbell. I heard Vanilla's voice from inside, and the sounds of footsteps nearing the door. It opened, and for the first time in years I came face to face with the kindly rabbit. At first she looked a little confused, then a smile spread across her face.

"Maurice? Is that you?" she asked, setting her hand on my shoulder. "You've grown so much! Please, come in."

Part of me really wanted to do just that, but my brain made it clear to me that it wasn't a good idea. "I'm sorry Mrs. Vanilla, I'm just here to check on somebody. This probably sounds really weird, but… is a six-year-old, two-tailed fox living with you by chance?"

Vanilla shook her head. "I'm sorry Maurice."

I felt my heart plunge into my stomach. If Tails hadn't gone here… he could be anywhere in Mobius. Like with Robotnik.

"He left about a month ago."

I perked up. "Wait… so he _was_ here?"

"Only for a month or so. Then he said that he couldn't stay and took off. He didn't tell me exactly where he going." Vanilla smiled sadly. "So young to be on his own...a lot like another boy I know."

I blushed slightly. _One Month… Oh Chaos, please be okay._ "Thanks, Vanilla. For helping Tails, and…" I trailed off at her confused expression.

"I'm sorry, Maurice, but who is 'Tails'?" she asked.

"Um, the little fox boy with two tails?" I said.

"You mean Miles. He was such a sweet boy, very polite."

"Yeah… Thanks Mrs. Vanilla. If you hear anything, please let me know." I waved goodbye to Vanilla and began to walk down the street very slowly. For once I didn't feel like going fast. Maybe Tails was still in town… or at least, maybe someone saw him on his way out. It wouldn't hurt to ask around.

Suddenly, Vanilla called out, "I heard a rumor that a young fox was staying at Frank's Repair Shop! I've been meaning to check it out, but I've been very busy. You can go check and see if it's Miles."

My heart soared. "Thanks Mrs. Vanilla!" I sped up slightly and jogged down the street. A repair shop, huh? That certainly sounded like Tails…

Narrator's POV:

Frank had been flying for the past three days. It had been almost a week since that lunatic, Robotnik, had showed up and kidnapped the young fox. The old wolf blamed himself for the capture. Miles was just a kid, only seven, he didn't deserve to be hurt or captured or… worse. Possibly much worse.

But Frank couldn't help but be more than a little confused at one thing. Before Robotnik had taken him, Miles had said that it was his fault that Robotnik was here, that 'this was his fight'. That was crazy, what would someone like Robotnik want with a honest, helpful little boy like Miles? Something wasn't right here. Frank could feel it.

It had something to do with what Robotnik had said, something about him looking all over for him. None of this made any sense.

Bernice was just as confused. She washed dishes and swept the floors, as usual, but her thoughts were always on Miles. The poor child had no connection with an evil, twisted hooligan like Robotnik. But what else could they have done? Miles didn't even try and escape and he could be hurt or scared or de-

No. She refused to even think about that possibility. Not for Miles. Not Miles, not Miles, not her sweet little Miles…

Frank interrupted her thoughts as he came in, his hair and clothes a complete mess from the constant wind. His face was drawn and fearful and he looked on the verge of collapsing.

"Water…" he managed to croak before falling into a nearby chair. Bernice complied without saying a word. After her husband had finished his large glass she simply looked him in the eyes, her question had no need of saying.

Frank shook his head.

Her heart sank even further down.

By now, the two had called GUN and unfortunately, they either couldn't help or refused to help. Apparently, Robotnik's antics had begun to overrun the land and they couldn't spare a single squad or soldier. So all the Roberts could do was try and do what Robotnik told them (and how they loathed it.)

" _Tell Sonic that if he ever wants to see his little sidekick again, then he'll meet me at the old factory from two summers ago. He'll know what I'm talking about."_

Those two sentences made Frank's head turn with confusion. Robotnik had mentioned 'Sonic' called Miles 'his little sidekick'. Now there was only one Sonic that the mechanic knew about and that was the famous blue blur himself. It was a well-known fact that Robotnik and the hero clashed often, but kidnapping a child? Frank had never heard that one before.

And then there was the sidekick part. Had Miles known Sonic? There were too many questions that needed answering. So Frank had hopped in the biplane and flew around, hoping against all odds that he could catch sight of the missing hero. Three days had passed, and the mechanic was starting to lose hope.

Bernice placed a ham sandwich in front of him. "Eat something. You've barely had anything for the past week."

Already, Frank was shaking his head, "I can't stay long. I'll eat it in the plane." He shoved off the exhaustion and stood up, his legs shaking slightly.

Bernice placed a hand on his arm. "Frank, you need to rest."

"Miles is in trouble, I have to keep looking."

"You won't help him if you kill yourself from exhaustion!" Bernice cried. She practically started begging. "Please, Frank. Sleep. Even if it's just a few hours! You need to rest."

But her husband shook his head. "I'm sorry dear, but I could never live with myself if I knew I could be doing something to help."

"Frank! Please! We'll find Sonic, but-"

"Bernice, it's not like he's going to come knocking on the door!"

A light tapping came from the business door.

Sonic's POV:

Finding the shop wasn't that difficult. I just hoped that Tails wouldn't be the one to answer the door.

Just walking up to the door felt like hundreds of years passing by. Very timidly I knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the door creaked open. "I'm sorry, we're clo-" The older female wolf stopped talking and stared at me.

I gave a timid wave, "Um… Hi?" I _really_ hated that look people gave me when they realized that I was 'the famous Sonic the Hedgehog'. And just when I thought I had seen every reaction…

"Frank! Are you a psychic or something?"

 _Wait what?_

Before I could ask what she meant, the woman grabbed me and pulled me inside. Too shocked, I didn't even resist the pull. I followed her into the kitchen where another older wolf was struggling to remain standing. _Chaos, he looked exhausted._

"Bernice what on Earth are you talking abou- Sweet Chaos!" He jumped up at the sight of me.

Again I timidly waved. "Um… Hi. I take it you know who I am. I'm just looking for an old friend of mine. You haven't seen a two-tailed fox by chance; goes by the name of Miles?"

Why in the name of all things Chaotic were those two just staring at each other?

After what seemed like eternity, Bernice (apparently) took a shaky breath. "You may want to take a seat Mr. Sonic."

I had a feeling it was going to be one of those conversations I regretted in my life.

And what do you know? I was right.

By the time the two were done talking, my whole body was trembling. Tails… Robotnik… I couldn't breathe. My brain was fuzzy and nothing was clear. I wanted to scream and cry at the same time, but couldn't seem to find the strength.

Suddenly, I was Maurice again, scared and wanting to run. Run as far as I could from my problems and try and leave them behind me. I wanted to hide. Hide from Robotnik; Hide from Tails. Especially from Tails, who I had not only crushed emotionally, but allowed to get captured by the very man who had destroyed my first life.

I couldn't take it. I buried my face in my knees and cried. Scratch that. I bawled.

I vaguely felt someone hug me tightly. Immediately, I tried to squirm out of the hold. No more connections. No more caring. No more.

The sound of Frank's voice filled my ears, comforting and gentle, but none of it registered. I just let the sobs completely envelope me. No more comfort. No more family. No more.

I have no idea when, but eventually I cried myself to sleep, just wanting it all to be a bad dream. Just wanting to wake up as a six year old with my siblings next to me. Hoping; Praying; that none of this existed.

...I had no such luck.

 _No More Loss. No More Pain._

 _No More._

 **Wow… I didn't even see that coming. I am really depressing, aren't I? Review!**


	23. Two-Tailed Torture

**I'm panicking too much to actually leave any comments. Why? You'll find out.**

Tails POV:

Have you ever rubbed your feet on really static carpet for a really long time, then touched a friend and yelped along with them at the electric shock you received? Take that shock and multiply it by ten. You now have the idea of how I felt every time Robotnik wasn't happy with me. One push of a button and, 'ZAP!' I was on the ground, screaming and writhing in pain.

At first, it was just small little shocks, nothing to get worked up over. But as the jerk got more impatient and the shocks more frequent, the yelps turned into cries and the cries into screams.

Silent tears streamed down my face as I tightened the bolt on a panel. When I had first started building the robot, I had been praying that Sonic never came. I knew it would be the hardest bot he ever faced, because Robotnik wasn't building it. I was. And no matter how angry I was, I didn't want the hedgehog to get hurt…or worse. But as the days turned into a week, I slowly lost my 'noble' resolve.

Robotnik was working me has hard as possible without killing me. I think I slept a total of 3 hours a day. The rest of the time was spent on his big project or his standard bots. All that was available to eat were dry crackers and water (and in very little amounts). Whenever I started to drop off to sleep, the man would shock me awake. It was a very unpleasant and painful sensation, and I learned to sleep with my eyes open.

On the fourth day of imprisonment I stopped hoping Sonic _wouldn't_ come.

The next day, I started praying that the pain would stop.

When the sixth day of confinement came around, I tried to stay awake. But with lack of sleep and nutrition it was nothing short of impossible. When Robotnik found me (about five minutes after I drifted off) he was _not_ happy.

"Oh Tails... wakey, wakey!"

My eyes snapped open and I struggled to come to attention. "Sorry, sir!"

"Are you tired?"

I nodded sluggishly. My eyes were drooping again and I could barely see. Robotnik was literally a giant blob with a mustache.

"Well, I have something to remedy that…"

Somehow, I wasn't comforted.

Robotnik twisted something on his wrist and then pushed a button. The worst shock that I had ever felt rushed through my body...and didn't stop. I fell to my knees and tried to hold in the endless flow of tears and screams, but to no avail.

I began to twitch as the electrocution continued. Every bad thing I had ever felt, physical, mental, and emotional, it pulsed through me, driving my nervous system to the brink of insanity.

Almost as if my mouth had a mind of it's own, it screamed the last thing I expected.

" _ **Maurice!"**_

That single word rang out through the area, full of fear and desperation. A plea for help; a desperate cry for mercy. It resonated through my mind as I screamed again and again. Maurice… Sonic… Maurice…help me...

When it stopped I almost didn't notice, but just kept shaking and screaming. I curled up into a ball, sobbing. The agony trickled slowly out with my tears, and eventually I found it in myself to pick myself up, although I nearly buckled with the energy it required.

"Now stop sleeping on the job and _**get to work**_. I promise you, next time I won't be quite as merciful." Robotnik aimed a steel-toed kick at me and I went sprawling on the ground. Tears still streamed down my bruised and sooty cheeks, forming clean sob marks down my face. Trembling, I reached over for my wrench and stumbled back to the machine, my vision blurred with tears and cloudy misery.

"Good boy, little Tails," said Robotnik. "Perhaps I'll allow you an extra cracker for your supper tonight. Then again, maybe not. Whatever I'm the mood for. Keep up the good work." he chuckled.

I didn't answer, but continued tightening bolts, my salty tears dripping onto the cold metal as Robotnik began humming a familiar, unexpectedly cheerful tune. I could hear the lyrics in my head: _Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Ay, my oh my, what a wonderful day..._

* * *

Sonic's POV:

I woke up in a cold sweat, holding in shrieks of strangled horror. Robotnik… Tails… no…

I found myself lying on a couch, Frank to my right. He was fast asleep in a recliner, his head completely down and snoring. Across from him, on another couch, was Bernice. She slept soundly, much quieter than her husband.

With a few deep breaths, I attempted to calm down. Unfortunately, my nerves were a little too wired up. If this was real… Robotnik had crossed the line. Slowly, I sat up, still shaking slightly.

I wasn't sure if my dreams were real or just nightmares, but I didn't care. No matter what, Tails was in serious trouble. If I didn't help him... who would?

* * *

Tail's POV:

After my meek supper (three crackers and a glass of water) I was allowed to sleep for a few hours. I had the first dream I had since my imprisonment. And it wasn't so much of a dream as it was a vision. All it really was was Lucy holding me as I cried, trying to comfort me to the best of her abilities.

" _Oh, Miles… it's going to be okay."_ she murmured, stroking my head comfortingly.

"No. No it's not." I said between sobs. "Thanks to me, Sonic is going to be tricked into trying to save me and Robotnik… Robotnik will…"

" _You don't know that."_ she gently stroked my head.

I continued to cry, "Don't you have somewhere else to be? Like in heaven? Free of worry and pain?"

Lucy smiled slightly. In a very gentle voice she replied, _"Miles, please don't tell me how to live my life."_

"You're a ghost."

" _I know that…"_ she held me tighter as the fog surrounding us grew thicker. Too soon, I was woken up by the sound of Robotnik's shrill voice.

"Up you come! Time to work!"

I've never felt so alone.

* * *

Sonic's POV:

The morning I left to find Tails, Bernice packed me a lunch and Frank gave me walkie-talkie, motioning for me to follow him. We walked out to a barn in back where a small red biplane laid waiting for take-off.

"Get in." Frank said firmly but gently, handing me a helmet. I respectfully declined.

"Where I'm headed, a helmet will only slow me down." I also refused to sit in the cockpit, but stood near the fin behind the second cockpit. Frank didn't question me, but started up the vehicle.

I crouched down next to Frank, "You don't have to take me."

"Miles may not be in the condition to run at super speeds. And it never hurts to have an eye in the air." The old man looked determined, and if he was nervous, he did a good job at hiding it.

The plane started forward and took off.

 _I'm coming Tails… hang on._

* * *

Tails POV:

Eight days. That's how long I had been a prisoner to Robotnik. And I can honestly say they were the worst eight days of my life (and considering what my life had been like in the last six years, that was saying something).

"Congratulations Tails, you've successfully completed my beautiful masterpiece."

I gritted my teeth and tried not to scream in frustration.

"And since you've been such a good boy, I've decided to let you rest until your 'hero' comes to save you. I've even prepared a special bed just for you." Robotnik grabbed me roughly by the scruff of my neck and tossed me towards the completed robot. For a minute I was sure that I would crumple against the side, but instead I landed in a small glass orb just a bit bigger than I was. An entrance in front of me slammed shut- I was trapped. _Again._

"Sweet dreams." sneered Robotnik, pulling out the collar's remote from his side pocket. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no. He wouldn't...

I screamed even before he hit the switch. Electricity jolted through my veins sending my nerves into pure, unadulterated agony. Soon I couldn't even hear my own shrieks; my ears had clouded over with anguish and misery. I wanted, no, I _needed_ this madness to end, to stop feeling the constant torment that plagued my very existence, but Robotnik didn't even have the mercy in him to let me die...

That's about the time when everything went dark.

 **Okay… I'm going to be honest. I had a panic attack during this chapter. I was seriously hyperventilating and trying not to scream. When did that happen? When my co-writer started typing, "Zip-a-dee do-dah…"**

 **From the co-writer, HaloEssence111:** **Robotnik's only going to get more evil, folks. Buckle up.**

 **Back to oceanera12:** **Ugh! Now I've calmed down enough to leave comments:**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Good to know… although I think my co-writer may have it covered...but then again maybe not. (;**

 **Autumn: I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.**

 **SonicGirlyGamer: I'm so glad you're enjoying my story and hope that you enjoy the rest of it!**

 **Quantum27: Sonic was suicidal in a game? Which one? I'm so glad I'm getting it as realistic as possible (because let's be honest. There's no such thing as a blue hedgehog that runs at the speed of sound and talks.) And the ending is soon. Very soon.**

 **Anna779: It was...nice? Okay then… I'm glad you liked it. (;**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoyed (or panicked along with me). Next chapter… pretty sure Sonic is going to show up. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts… Oh forget it…**


	24. Failure to Rescue

**Wow. That's all I have to say is. Wow.**

 **Autumn: I am seriously blushing from the praise. Thank you so much!**

 **Guest #1: Glad you like it. Hope you continue to do so.**

 **Guest #2: (not sure if you're the same person as the first Guest review but hey,) Wow, that got violent… but I partially agree.**

 **Quantum27: No, I think I made the right call raising the rating, because it was already rated T compared to my other stories. When you said it was horrible, I was sad. Then I realized it said horribly wonderful and cheered up. I'm weird. And I know it's fan-fiction, I just didn't see it coming. Once again, my co-writer was the one who typed it and I was having a stressful day already. I was fine after a few minutes. And that is kind of hilarious on the whole, 'Sonic throws himself off a cliff and loses a life.' They really did that? Wow… SEGA is weird sometimes. (no wait, they're weird all the time.)**

Sonic's POV:

If I hadn't been so stressed about Tails then I may have actually enjoyed the flight over to the old factory. The sky was clear and sunny, birds were chirping. Part of me really wanted to hit them for it. Robotnik had actually done an okay job at rebuilding the place… and seeing as I had torched half the building the last time I had come for a visit that was saying something.

When Frank caught sight of the factory, I heard him take a deep breath. Yelling as loud as he possibly could over the motor, "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?" He was probably thinking that I would be dead as soon as I stepped in the place.

I didn't answer but nodded. I expected security to be tighter than usual, but nothing too crazy. This is Robotnik I was dealing with, the man I had beaten hundreds of times.

 _Then why haven't you gotten him arrested?_

That...was a fair question. I scrunched my face up a little confused. Why hadn't I just thrown the man in jail? I mean, he was trying to take over the world. If that didn't guarantee a few years of hard time then I don't know what did.

Frank looked over. "YOU OKAY, KID?"

I nodded, shaking the thoughts away. "LAND OVER THERE. I'LL JUST RUN THE REST OF THE WAY." I pointed to an open spot about five miles away.

The wolf obliged and landed the plane a few minutes later. I motioned for him to cut the engines. "The noise will attract unwanted attention. As soon as you hear laser fire, start them back up. If something else comes up and it jeopardizes your safety, then fly out immediately. Understand?"

He nodded. "I'll stay nearby to pick you up."

"But if you're in trouble, I want you to leave. I can carry Miles to town if necessary. I don't need to worry about saving two people. Got it?"

Again, Frank nodded. Then his face grew worried. "Be careful Sonic. I didn't realize how…"

"Young I am? I get that a lot. Trust me; I've been doing this since I was eight. I know what to do, and more importantly, what not to do. Now stay quiet. I'll be back as soon as I can." I gave Frank a quick salute and then took off running towards the factory. Part of me wanted to gun it, but I knew I'd need the energy for the fight that was bound to be ahead of me. I forced myself to slow down a little and keep an even pace.

This was the first time I had been alone since meeting the Roberts, so I had a little time to think. What was Robotnik doing to the kid? I could only imagine...and I had a pretty good imagination. Most of my nightmares included torture, torture, and more torture. I involuntarily shivered.

Almost by instinct I looked down at the red communicator on my wrist. It only seemed like a few days ago that Tails had given it to me… and I had almost decided to keep him around. I had literally been seconds away when Robotnik-

I squeezed my eyes shut. _'Focus Sonic. Focus. Tails needs you. You_ _ **cannot**_ _afford to get distracted, not now._

Speeding up slightly, I finally found my first bots. I rushed through them, freeing the imprisoned animals. Unlike the other times, their small chirps of thanks didn't cheer me up or give me strength. They just reminded me what Robotnik was capable of doing too small, innocent creatures. I sped up.

* * *

Tails POV:

Pain. That's the first thing that registered to me. The second thing was a large clanking sound. I forced my eyes open and found myself staring at the cold floor. My whole body felt as heavy as lead and very sore. My injured tail stun slightly from where I had landed on it when Robotnik threw me in the-

 _In the Robot._

 _Oh Chaos… oh sweet Chaos, no!_

I forced myself to sit up and look around. I was in a large cylinder that was surrounded 75% by metal, the last quarter being made up of ten inch thick glass. The glass was open to Robotnik's factory, which was bustling around all busy like.

The big man himself was sitting at a control panel with several security cameras on screen. He was examining the footage, his focus for once not on me.

I stood up and pressed my face against the glass, ignoring the pain that immediately registered in my brain. The cameras were losing connection one by one and appeared to be on security bots. I caught sight of a blue blur on one before it went out. I took a sharp intake of air. "Sonic?" I barely whispered. It couldn't be. The small, logical voice in the back of my mind told me that this was bad, very bad- Sonic could be killed trying to save me. He'd walk right into the trap Robotnik had me build. But at the same time, I felt a sense of deliverance; if Sonic could pull it off, I could be free of this deathtrap, before Robotnik actually does have to save a piece of me for Sonic to bury… Unfortunately, Robotnik appeared to be very pleased that Sonic was completely destroying his robot army. And that could not be a good thing.

He finally stepped away from the screens and noticed I was awake, "Why, hello, little Tails!"

Instinctively, I shrunk away from the glass, trying and failing to not appear scared.

"Oh, come back into view, you little brat! I want you to be the first thing that blasted hedgehog sees when he comes crashing into my tra- I mean, when he sees my magnificent creation."

 _Wow...it's a trap. I_ _didn't_ _see that coming…_ And as for his creation, who actually build the dumb thing? Not like I wanted to or anything, but hey, the man was electrocuting me! What other choice did I have?

Robotnik interrupted my thoughts by slamming on the side of his 'magnificent creation.' "This beautiful hunk of metal is going to finish the hedgehog once and for all."

If I hadn't been so terrified, the whole situation might have been rather amusing.

The two of us watched as Sonic drew closer and closer to the tra _-_ _I mean,_ Robotnik's beautiful hunk of metal. That logical little voice in my head was screaming that the closer Sonic came to me and the robot, the larger a chance that he won't be alive by the end of the day.

I told the voice to shut up.

* * *

Sonic's POV:

Was it me, or was Robotnik's army more incompetent than usual today? I mean, I know I'm fast, but I'm not _that_ hard to avoid. Most of the time, at least one bot will manage to aim well enough to hit me, but these buckets of bolts weren't even trying. Or maybe I had just stepped up my game.

Or it's a trap.

Well, duh, it's a trap. Even my own mother, rest her soul, would be able to see that. But seriously, Robotnik needs to work on his trap making skills. I mean, he's crossed off every single thing on the 'Horrible Trap' list. Yes, I have a list. Go ahead and judge me.

One, send an invite to the party. Thank you Frank and Bernice. Two, easy entrance. All the bots have so far completely covered that part. Three...giant robot at the end. Well Robotnik, don't let me down… all I had to do was get in, bust some robots, grab Tails, and run for my life. Piece of cake.

I picked up the speed and spin dashed through the last three bots. I stopped and stood up straight staring at the giant doors with Robotnik's face. "There's ugly, and then there's U-ugly, and then there's U-GU-LY." I said to no one in particular. I smirked and sped up; two seconds later, I was in the main building.

I ran up and down the halls of broken doors and offices, listening for any hint of life. I made it to the center of the factory and finally heard the whirring of machinery. I listened at the door, careful not to make a sound.

"Funny…" I heard Robotnik grumble. "The hedgehog disappeared from the surveillance. But he'll be here very soon, I'm quite sure." I gritted my teeth and busted down the door.

"Well, whaddaya know, for once in your life you're right about something." I said, clenching my fists by my sides. Robotnik, sitting at a swivel chair in front of the master computer, turned to me, a horrible leer on his mustached face.

"Sonic! So happy you decided to show up." he said, sounding altogether too cheerful. It was freaking me out.

"Where's Tails?" I demanded.

"Oh, looking for your little sidekick, hmm?" said Robotnik. "I can help you with that. He's right here." He pointed to the colossal robot in the center of the room. At first I didn't understand until I noticed the huge glass cylinder placed visibly in the middle.

And the small yellow fox sitting inside.

I could feel my fists begin to quiver, not from fear, but fury.

"ROBOTNIK!" I shouted, wheeling around to face the man.

"No need to shout, young hedgehog." he said calmly, making me feel even angrier. "You seem upset." He put a finger on his chin as if thinking. "I know! I'm in a very good mood right now, so how about if I be a good man and let you in on a deal?"

I clenched my fists together. "What kind of deal?"

"Well, you're here to save your little friend right? If you have happened to noticed, he's in the middle of my giant robot. If you barge in like you normally do, then you may end up destroying the machine and your friend in one swoop."

My skin started to turn clammy. _Tails… Oh Chaos…_

"But if someone were to take his place...well, he may have a chance at surviving the impending doom I'm about to unleash on the world."

With my hands shaking I tried to see the little fox, but the area was too shadowed. "If- if I took his place, would you promise me that he won't get hurt?"

Robotnik gave one of his sneers. "Cross my heart."

 _You're an idiot…_

Yeah, I probably am. Trusting the 'good' Doctor? Maybe not my smartest moves.

One of the Swatbots grabbed me from behind, and with its master's approval, opened a door to the glass cylinder and thrusted me in roughly. I landed hard on my shoulder, and before I could stand up, the bot slammed the door shut.

I banged hard on the glass, "Aren't you forgetting something?!"

"Oh yes, the fox… well, he'll be the safest in there, don't you think?"

I screamed every insult I knew or could make up at Robotnik. "You big, fat, no-good, double-crossing…" I have no idea how long I yelled, but my voice began to get hoarse.

"It's no use."

I jerked my head to the right and bit back a gasp. Up close, I could see Tails properly, and I was more than a little shaken at what I saw.

His fur, once orangey-yellow, was darkened by sooty machine grease and matted with dark red patches of what seemed to be dried blood. Dark circles ran under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in a long while. Bruises in various shades of brown and purple were scattered across his face and body, and I could see his small ribs poking out through his chest. He reeked of sweat, blood and burnt flesh.

"Hi, Maurice." he said coldly, staring me right in the eye.

Never in my whole life did I want to disappear.

 **Poor Tails… and seriously Sonic? You actually- Never mind. Also, why hasn't Robotnik ever been arrested? There is no way he escaped,** _ **Every. Single. Time.**_

 **Next chapter: the two finally 'talk' after all of that junk. Hold on tight. There will be tears shed (although it may not be by you.)**


	25. Arguing

**Boo! Okay, not really, but still. Hope you all are doing well and are excited to read this chapter (because it seriously took forever to type… Ugh!). I'll be honest though, it was definitely one of the more fun chapters I've typed with my co-writer. We really had to stretch our imaginations and had a lot of fun with the dialogue. Anyway, Comments on Reviews! (well actually, I only have one comment on the one review…)**

 **Autumn: That is true… I never really considered the giant robot's breaking him out every single time, but that probably is what happens… (or Sonic is just lazy.)**

Sonic's POV:

Since going off to save Tails, I had tried to picture our meeting. None of them had been correct.

"Hi, Maurice." Those two simple words were enough to leave me completely silent. I had no idea what to say, and after a few minutes of trying to find the words, I realized that was the problem. There were no words to say.

I had abandoned the kid to a bunch of strangers in a new town. Never even called after that to see how he was adjusting (even though I was sort of stranded on a flying island, but that wasn't exactly a valid excuse). Robotnik had found and kidnapped him, and I hadn't found out until a week after the incident. Tails had gone through Chaos knows what torture and slave labor. And who was the one to blame for everything? Me.

So I didn't say anything. I just sat down and buried my face in my knees. No tears were shed; I didn't have any left in my system after the days of panic. Every once in awhile I heard a noise from Tails, or sometimes from outside. At one scary moment, these giant metal doors closed around the glass prison and everything went pitch dark in the cell. But after a few moments in the dark, a very dim bulb lit up in the ceiling, painting the room with a very dull yellow color.

Hours had probably passed when the cage suddenly lurched sideways. My head snapped up and I tried not to fall over. We were thrown in the opposite direction as the cell slid the other way. Eventually the movement evened out and became a constant jerking movement.

I finally spoke up. "What was that?"

"We're moving. After all, we're kind of in the belly of a giant killing machine." Tails sounded bitter and resentful. Couldn't really blame the kid…

"Where do you think we're going?"

"A village, probably...maybe a city. What are you asking me for? What do I know about any of this?"

"I dunno, you're the one who's been around Robotnik for who knows how long! I thought you might know something about all this!"

"Well, I don't. Sorry about that."

Sheesh, the kid's gotten sarcastic in the last two months. Or maybe it's just me.

"Tails, look. I know this is my fault, I and I feel really, really-"

"Sorry? Figured you'd say that. And my name is _not_ Tails. It never was."

Ouch. That cut deep. We sat in silence for a while longer, until I couldn't stand the quiet anymore. Unfortunately, I started hearing something much worse.

Screams. Terrified civilian screams.

Great. Just Perfect. Robotnik had the nerve to attack a town or city or wherever we were while I'm stuck in here with a kid who most likely hates my guts, all the while not able to do anything.

 _Not able to do anything. Oh Chaos…_

I grabbed my knees and buried my head; trying to block out the sounds of terror. Not again. _Not again…_

Every time I went back to that night...that dreaded, life-shattering night, that was the one thing that haunted me. I couldn't do anything. I wasn't as fast I could've been; I wasn't able to to stop the nightmare from happening. All I could do was watch and wait to see the outcome. If I came out alive...or if everyone else came out dead.

Without even meaning to, I slipped back into that scared little boy's mind. I was drowning without any water. All I could do was bury my face and try and stay calm. Nothing helped.

Definitely drowning.

Tails POV:

I was mad. Correction: I was furious. _Sorry?_ Sorry doesn't cut all the pain I had gone through the past two months. And what was the first thing he said to me? " _What was that?"_

Not even a 'hello,' or a 'how are you?' Just a question about a little movement. _Missed you too Maurice…_

I glared at the hedgehog after our very short conversation. A high scream shook me out of my deep thoughts. Oh great, the machine I was forced to build was destroying everything in sight…

I sighed. _And the reward to the easiest manipulated person goes to...Sonic?_

The blue hedgehog did not look good. His breathing was heavy and quick. After an especially loud scream from outside, he curled up in a ball and laid on his side.

 _What in Chaos?_

Very tentatively I scooted closer to him. "Sonic?"

He didn't move.

"Sonic?" I said again, a little louder. _Chaos, did I do that to him? No, that can't be right… maybe he's claustrophobic. It would make sense since he's used to running in large spaces._

Still, the hedgehog didn't move.

By this point, I was right next to him. Very faintly I could hear him mumbling to himself. None of the words were distinguishable. "Sonic? Are you okay?" I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. He recoiled at my touch. Somehow that hurt more than him ignoring me.

Now I was starting to panic. _What in Chaos is wrong with him?_

Another scream from outside. Sonic winced.

 _Perhaps...it had something to do with the screams?_ I shook my head and tried to comfort him again, "Sonic, wake up."

He still didn't move. I tried to put my hand on his shoulder again, but he still pulled away.

 _I'm stuck inside a giant robot with an insane hedgehog while Robotnik destroys everything in sight with the robot I was forced to build while being freakin' tortured…_ My anger flared. I grabbed the hedgehog and smacked him right across the face as hard as I could.

That seemed to work. "Hey!" shouted Sonic, rubbing his sore cheek. "What was _that_ for?"

"What's wrong with you? We're inside a giant killing machine, there's no time to zone out! Honestly!"

The hedgehog took a shaky breath. "Right... sorry." He walked around the cell a few times, as if trying to calm his nerves. After ten laps (which took about thirty seconds), he pounded lightly on the glass. "I may have been able to drill through this, if it wasn't glass. One mistake and 'crack.' Hundreds of little shards fall on top of us."

I shivered. "Let's not do that. I'm not really in the mood for any more cuts."

"Maybe we could get Robotnik mad enough at us so he would open the door and try and kill us."

"That may have worked, if I wasn't wearing this collar." I ran my fingers across the horrible device, cringing at the touch of the hated article.

A little confused, Sonic took a closer look. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Electric collar? Yep."

Very softly, Sonic mumbled, "Please tell me he didn't use it."

"Alright, he didn't use it."

"Really?"

"Of course he used it! What, do you think it's just for decoration?"

"Sheesh kid, you got sarcastic in the last two months."

"Shut up, Sonic."

I leaned against the wall and stared outside...well, at the metal exterior. Sonic started tapping his foot on the ground, echoing on the cool surface with a hollow banging. After a few minutes of the sound, I started to grow a little annoyed of it. "Would you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Tapping on the floor! That metal banging is...exactly what we need!"

Sonic tilted his head very confused. "What?"

"Can you drill through metal? Like thin metal?"

"Um, I think so… I kinda do it every time I fight one of Robotnik's robots."

I knelt down on the ground and knocked on the floor. "Well, here's your spot."

"Wow... we're idiots."

For once, I agreed with him. Sonic motioned for me to get as far from him as possible. As I pushed myself against the cold glass he started to spin. A few moments later the sound of splintering metal filled the air.

 _Okay, how can a hedgehog cut through metal? Are his spines made of titanium or something?_ But at the moment it didn't really matter. We had to focus.

It took about two minutes to actually cut through the metal because Sonic was trying to go slow enough so he wouldn't cut me on accident. In other words, it felt like forever. But eventually, he made it through. He slipped through the jagged hole he had drilled and would've fallen through if he hadn't grabbed hold of the sharp edge.

"A little-* _grunt*-_ help?" he asked. I sighed, grasping his arm and helping him climb out of the hole. Sonic and I peered down into the hole, staring at the grinding gears and pounding circuits.

"Well." said Sonic. "I'm glad I didn't fall down there. That sure wouldn't have been too pleasant."

"Brilliant observation, Holmes. However do you do it?"

"Okay, Mr. Sarcasm, I get it. You're mad at me. Now can we get out of here and _then_ have this conversation?"

"Fine. But this is far from over."

"I think I got that. So what's the plan?"

"What- * _sputter*_ \- MY plan was to follow YOUR plan!" He's supposed to be the one with all the experience! Why in Chaos is he asking ME?

"Oh." said Sonic a bit sheepishly. Wonderful comeback, hedgehog. Let's progress to actual sentences next, shall we? I sighed, frustrated.

"Okay, okay! I'll come up with a plan, sheesh! Quit being so crabby." grumbled Sonic. "Here's the plan: We get out. We smash up robots. We kick Robotnik's tail. Any questions?"

"Just one- _how do we get out?_ "

Sonic gave me this look. "We climb, jump and fly. Weren't you listening?" He proceeded to jump into the hole.

I stood there for a second and then sighed. "Here we go again…" I sat down and slid down.

What does the inside of a giant killer robot look like? Picture the inside of one of those giant clock towers and you'll get a small idea. There's just a lot less gears and a lot more hammers and pistons. And with my luck, I landed right on one.

Sonic grabbed me by the neck and yanked me off the pedestal just as a hammer was about to smash down on me. After I calmed my nerves, Sonic raised an eyebrow.

"You built all of this?"

"Didn't really have a choice."

"I gotta say, I'm impressed." Sonic looked around at the gears. "But we should still watch our step."

"No, we should run willy-nilly all over the place. You're the expert at that after all."

"I'm warning you, Miles. One more sarcastic comment and I'm going to flip."

"Yes, Master."

Sonic just glared. _Ooh, I'm shaking._ "Come on, kid. We've got get out of here." We got about ten feet before our next obstacle.

"I'm telling you we should go right!"

"And I'm telling you we need to go left!"

Sonic threw his arms in the air. "But right is just a few gears. Left has pounding hammers! And I haven't ever been hit with a hammer before, and I don't ever want to start."

"Well you're going to have to start today, because we're going left."

"Okay, you can go left. I'm going right. Let's see who gets hurt first."

I was mad, but I didn't wish death upon him. Yet (I'll give you my final answer in a few minutes). "Alright. Have fun with the missiles."

Sonic froze. "Wait, what?"

"To the right, just past the tiny, harmless gears is the missile loading dock and lighting station. However, to the left is the left leg mechanism, where we can safely drill through to the outside. But let's not do that, let's head on over to the missiles! That sounds WAY more fun!"

Sonic didn't answer at first. Then he snapped his finger to the left. "Left it is." he mumbled.

"That's what I thought." This hedgehog was starting to get on my nerves.

Sonic's POV:

This fox was starting to get on my nerves. First there was the plan issue. Now he's my GPS that leaves out way too many details for comfort.

Okay, I get it. I made a HUGE mistake leaving him in that town. But seriously, we're standing in a _killer robot_. This is not the time to be sarcastic!

But...I didn't say any of this. I was hardly keeping sane myself. Robotnik put an _electric collar_ on the kid and forced him to build machines of mass destruction. If that's not permanently scarring then I don't know what is. I wanted to find the Doctor and throttle him until his teeth fell out.

"Sonic, we need to go down." Tails motioned into the darkness below.

 _Great…_ Another jump that could possibly result in a painful death. Like my day couldn't get any worse. Good thing I'm used to it.

We scaled downward, feeling our way around the darkness. After a few minutes of seemingly aimless climbing, Tails paused suddenly.

"Stop." he said. "Drill, right here." Tails pointed to a dent in the metal. I bent myself into drilling position and spun. In a matter of minutes, I had to shield my eyes from the burst of bright sunshine. Tails leapt out of the hole behind me.

"Finally." he said pointedly. I rolled my eyes. A 'thank you' would've been nice, but okay, whatever.

"What now?" he asked.

"You stay here. I'll be back when this thing is a pile of scrap metal." I was about speed off when he grabbed the back of one my spines.

"Oh no. Remember the last time you left me to fend for myself?"

"You're really bringing this up _now?_ " I asked, frustrated.

"Yes I am, as a matter of fact. We're doing this together or not at all."

"Miles, you've got understand that you are _way_ too young for this! You could be-"

"Tell me, Sonic, just how old were you when you started fighting Robotnik?" Tails interrupted.

"Ten! Four years older than you are!"

"I'm seven! Can't you add?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, the last time we talked, you told me that you were six. Excuse me for trusting your word!"

"My wor-" Tails sputtered. "My birthday was a month ago!"

"Well, Happy Birthday to you, then!"

"It's a LITTLE LATE!"

This kid. Just, just… wow. What kind of a messed up six- sorry, _seven_ year old has this kind of mouth? Apparently this one.

Unfortunately, our argument got cut off by a certain psychotic maniac. We didn't even realize he was there until he turned the robot to us and leaned it forward. He sat up in the cockpit, where the robot's head would've been.

"If your plan was to sneak up on me, you failed miserably." he sneered. "Next time, you might take it into consideration to _whisper_."

"Were we shouting?" I asked Tails.

"No, my voice is just RANDOMLY RAISED!" he yelled.

"STOP BEING SO SARCASTIC!"

"MAKE ME!"

"Okay, I _WILL!_ " I shouted and was about to cover his mouth when I heard a little cough. Tails and I both turned and glared at Robotnik.

"What?" I challenged.

"Erm… this is all highly amusing, but it's also extremely awkward for me, so should I come back later after you've settled your differences, or…?"

"No! YOU STAY!" we shouted in unison. Robotnik held up his hands in defense.

"Well, exCUSE me if I…" he began.

"Don't you start with the sarcasm!" I snarled. "I get enough from him!"

"Hey!"

"Oh, don't act so offended, you know it's true." I snapped. Taking a deep breath to calm down, I turned to Tails with a grim expression.

"Look. This can wait until _after_ we destroy that bucket of bolts over there. Okay?"

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

" _ **FINE!**_ "

"STOP SAYING FINE!" roared Robotnik.

Tails and I nodded to each other, and I charged, spin-dashing into the robot's cockpit, shattering the glass that separated us from Robotnik. I quickly seized his mustache and yanked him out, thrusting him down onto the pavement. I grabbed his arm and dragged him past the robot and threw him into the nearest dumpster. I brushed my hands off and walked back to Tails, who was staring at me, his face void of expression. After a moment, he spoke.

"That… was the most pathetic fight I have ever seen."

"Gee, thanks."

"I wasn't talking about you. But if you _want_ me to talk about you…"

"Nope, I'm good."

Behind us, I could hear Robotnik trying climbing out of the dumpster, sputtering and gasping for air that wasn't contaminated with the scent of dumpster juice.

"No really, it would be my honor to say _exactly_ what I think about you."

"I _said_ I'm _**good**_."

"No, you're actually the opposite of good."

Okay, low blow. LOW BLOW. "You know what, kid? I'm getting really sick of your attitude towards me."

"My attitude? MY attitude? What about yours?" Tails shouted.

"What about mine?"

"You want the basic summary or the whole list?"

"Okay, that's it. I'm done. I am so done with you! I don't even know why I bothered to come save you!"

"I don't know why eith-" Tails let out a sudden yelp, doubling over, moaning and quivering.

"Woah, woah, Miles, what're you- what the-" I noticed for the first time Tails was clutching his throat. I wheeled around to the dumpster. Robotnik had climbed out completely, grinning and holding a small remote. He chuckled and turned a knob.

Tails's bloodcurdling scream rang through my ears, freezing my innards. He writhed on the ground, twisting and thrashing like a wild animal. Robotnik cackled and kept twisting the knob, Tails howling louder and louder. I could see bits of lighting-like electricity dancing on his fur and smelled the sickening odor of burning flesh and hair.

Instinctively, I whirled around and charged at Robotnik, snatching the remote and smashing it on the sidewalk, grinding the bits of machinery into dust with my heel. I ran back to Tails, who was still screaming with the voltage's pain. I tried to hold Tails still enough to grab the collar, wiggling my fingers between his neck and the collar. I could feel bits of electricity singing my hands and had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming.

With both hands I ripped the collar apart with a loud crack. I threw it to the ground and tried to keep Tails still.

"Come on, Miles, it's okay! You're fine now! Stop crying! PLEASE!" I begged, holding Tails in an awkward hug. Tails stopped screaming but continued to sob, shaking violently. I pressed him against my shoulder, him blubbering all over me.

Robotnik was cursing me as he pulled out yet another remote. "You little...rodent!" He pushed the big red button.

 _Great...he pushed the big red button._ _**Never**_ _push the big red button._

Tails POV:

My whole body felt like it was on fire, and that didn't count the fact that Sonic was making it very difficult to die. That was my number one concern. When would the pain end?

He was yelling at me, but my hearing was too fuzzy to understand anything he said.

Why wasn't I dead yet?

What is with me and thinking about dying? Like, I wanted to jump off a bridge… actually, I didn't really want to die, now that I think about it. I just wanted to stop...well everything. I wanted to have everyone else die.

Wow...I really needed to get a grip on my emotions.

So, after that revelation, I pulled myself out of the darkness and slowly came to my senses.

For the first time I realized that the collar was gone and the pain had stopped...well, mostly stopped. Sonic was holding me very tightly making it hard to breath. And Robotnik...seemed to be holding another remote.

 _Oh no. Please tell me he didn't put another electrocuting device on me...or in me. Oh SWEET chaos, please don't have one in me._

Luckily, that didn't seem to be the case. The giant, now unoccupied robot started to...well, in a nutshell, it went completely insane. Random shots were fired and its arms started to swing wildly. Very slowly, it began to march towards Sonic and I.

Robotnik's shrill voice rang through the air, "Kill them!"

 _Well, that doesn't sound good…_

Sonic stood up and started to run at half-speed away from the robot with me in his arms. Wind blew in my face, whistling through my fur. Even at half-speed, Sonic was still scary fast.

Behind us, the robot stomped and pounded as it chased us through the forest, snapping trees in two with its humongous steel feet. Sonic ran faster until he stopped at a riverbank, setting me down gently under a bush. I had regained most of my consciousness at this point, and I felt confused; what was he playing at?

"STAY HERE!" he shouted, looking frantic. Before I could even open my mouth to argue, he sped off, leaving me to cough in his dust.

I've mentioned how much I hate that hedgehog, right?

The robot followed Sonic across the stream, either completely ignoring me or not seeing me at all. I forced myself up and started to limp in their direction, falling a little behind even though I was moving as quickly as I could; t whole way cursing Sonic for ever being born. I swore, when I got my hands on him I was going to… well, I didn't know what I was going to do, but it certainly wasn't going to be very pleasant, that's for sure.

 **And… I think we're going to stop there. Hope you enjoyed all of the arguing, yelling, and insulting. (; Well they are going to be 'brothers' so I thought we should have some of that, 'I want to kill you, but unfortunately I can't,' relationship.**

 **Also, Robotnik interrupting… that was just priceless.**

 **Please Review!**


	26. Even more Arguing

**Boo! How is everyone today? So last time we had Arguing. This time we have even MORE arguing. Seriously, I think Sonic and Tails arguing is so funny. It actually shows that they have a brother relationship.**

 **On a separate note, I know some of you enjoyed my chaos emerald theory so I'm going to put another one of my theories at the end of this chapter. Don't feel obliged to read it because it's there.**

 **Comments:**

 **Juancastri11: I'm sorry I haven't been commenting, but for some reason whenever you review I don't get an email notification. It's only for you, no one else. Anyway, I had fun writing in all the humor and arguing and glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Quantum27: Sarcasm, Bitterness, Bickering, Sarcasm, Bitterness… Well I failed at that. I aim for about a 1000 words per chapter, but sometimes it's longer than that or shorter. It's just sort of turns out into what I want in the chapter.**

 **Autumn: No it's not. I was laughing while typing it. Let's be honest, he deserved it.**

 **Lynn: I'm so glad you enjoy it and hope that you continue to do so. Thank you for the review. You made my day. (;**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Probably. I think if I was a police officer guarding Robotnik, I'd just let him out. Then I wouldn't get shot at. Glad you liked it.**

 **GlowingGem: I'm trying to keep it serious, but I also want some humor to lighten the mood. Being depressed the whole time is just...depressing. Orbot and Cubot… I'll have to think about it.**

 **Guest: Here's the next update! (;**

 **Let's Move Out! (I love Kid Icarus…)**

Sonic's POV:

Before you start chewing me out for leaving Tails at the riverbank, let me explain myself.

Yeah, I know, jerk move dumping the kid somewhere all alone. Again. But this was serious! He had nearly passed out from electrocution just now, and I wasn't about to have 'letting a seven year old die at the hands of Robotnik' on my list of horrible things that have happened so far in my life (there's not really a literal list- if there was, I'd need a lot of paper).

I zoomed off back to the robot, which was trampling every tree in sight. "Hey, bolt-head! Catch me if you can!" Since the dumb bot was on rampage mode it didn't really get angry or anything, but I think all my running got its attention.

I zipped in and out of its legs, trying to confuse the dumb thing enough so that it could bang into something and break apart. This might've worked if anyone other than Tails had built it. The robot slammed into tree after tree but it barely made a dent. Even when I spin-dashed right into its chest, it only staggered back a little, then retaliated by trying to smack me into orbit.

I hit it again and again, but nothing worked. In fact, the stupid thing seemed to just get madder with every blow it took. I was getting winded; I was going to lose if it didn't back down soon.

"Sonic!"

No. No way. It couldn't be…

I whipped my head around, and sure enough, that stubborn little kid was limping towards me- and the robot.

"Go back!" I cried, spin-dashing once more into the robot.

"That's not going to work!" yelled Tails, now at the foot of the robot. "This is built with chromium steel alloy! The chest plating is almost totally impenetrable!"

Good to know.

"Miles, this is too dangerous!" I shouted, zooming up the metal arms to the shoulders.

"I DON'T CARE!" he bellowed. "Get me up to the head, I can take it from there!"

"Miles-"

"I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!" he yelled, furious. "JUST GET ME UP TO THE HEAD, MAURICE!"

Maurice? Okay, the kid means business. I jumped down from the shoulder, barely avoiding a metal fist. Grabbing Tails, I wove in and out of the monster's legs, confusing it enough to allow me to speed back up to the shoulder. I hurled Tails like a javelin into the cockpit, relieved when I saw that he landed cleanly inside.

"What're you doing?" I hollered over the ear-piercing whir of the machine.

"Quiet! I need to think!" Tails disappeared inside.

With a yelp I dove out of the way of yet another missile. I hate missiles… As I continued dodging blows from the bot, I noticed we were getting closer and closer to the nearby drop off. I remembered that cliff all too well, seeing as the last time I was here, Robotnik threatened to throw me in the lake that lined it. Just thinking about it made me shiver.

"Hurry up, Miles!" I yelled as another fist barely grazed me.

Just as I thought I wasn't going to survive another minute (and I was pretty much right on the edge of the cliff, the glistening water almost mocking me) the robot suddenly froze just inches away from me. I stared for a second, and then Tails poked his head up out of the cockpit.

"What'd you do?" I asked, bewildered.

"Simple. When I was building the robot, I installed an off switch that Robotnik wasn't aware of. Of course, I had to hide it under a floor panel so it took me a little while to pull it off. " he said plainly.

"You seriously had a hidden 'off' switch?"

"You're welcome."

Great. Mr. Sarcasm is back. Just what I need. I was about to open my mouth to speak when a rumbling under my feet nearly made me lose my balance.

"Miles, what's going on?" I asked.

"I…" For once he looked lost for words. "I don't know!" He fiddled around with the buttons and screens for a bit; his face drained white.

"What, what's happening?" I asked, getting a little panicky.

"The system's detected an intruder and is shifting into full rampage! I… I can't stop it!" Tails hastily dashed around the cockpit, struggling in vain to find the right controls. After a minute of no success, Tails whipped around to face me.

"We have to drive this into the lake."

"Are you NUTS?" I shouted over the growing din of the machine.

"I'm serious, Sonic! I can't stop it from moving into rampage mode, but I can shut off the autopilot and destroy it before it destroys us! Please, just trust me!"

"Miles-"

"TRUST ME!"

This could get seriously dangerous. Tails could get hurt or worse… _**wham.**_ A piece of loose metal flew off the side of the robot's head; I barely dodged it as it skimmed my quills.

Then again, I didn't have any better ideas.

"I hope you know what you're doing!" I shouted as the robot took another step forward. I jumped up and landed on the cockpit near Tails. The fox frantically tried a few buttons, but nothing seemed to happen. In a desperate gamble, Tails yelled, "Hang on!" He slammed his body against the controls, forcing the bot to finally tip off the edge of the cliff.

Freefalling can be a pleasant experience, and I've tried it more than once. But falling with a giant killer robot that may explode at any second with a sarcastic seven year old that you don't want to get hurt is NOT recommended.

I gripped the edge of the robot and pulled myself over to the cockpit, where Tails was struggling to hold on to the metal. "LET GO!" I shouted. He looked at me like I was insane.

"NOW _YOU_ NEED TO TRUST _ME_!" I shouted. "NOW LET GO!"

Tails swallowed and then nodded. I let go and grabbed onto him as he released his grip.

The robot began to fall a little faster than us as we flattened ourselves against the wind. But we were still falling far too quickly for comfort. "MILES FLY!"

Luckily the kid understood and began to twist his tails madly. We slowed and then came to a hover, but the kid only managed to hold it for a few seconds before crying out in pain and continuing our fall. But those few seconds were enough.

The robot hit the water, breaking up the surface and making our landing a little less painful. Notice I said a _little less_ , not _completely painless._ It still hurt like Chaos himself...or at least I think it did. I might've gone into shock just the tiniest bit.

Tails and I sunk about twenty feet under the surface. I watched the robot sink even further until it disappeared out of sight. _Chaos, how deep is this lake?_

I think that's when I realized that I was in water...and I couldn't swim. I frantically looked for Miles and to my horror found him sinking deeper. The poor kid was too weak to even try and get to the surface.

With my lungs beginning to burn for want of oxygen, I made a split second decision. I swam down and grabbed the kid, gripping him tightly. Not sure how I did it, but I began to spin dash in the water. It didn't move me anywhere, but it was enough for what I needed.

With my last remaining strength, I released and hurled Miles towards the surface. He rocketed up and disappeared from my view. _Well… you're probably gonna die, but you kept the kid safe, and that's all that matters._

And that's when everything went black.

* * *

Tails POV:

When Sonic and I went under, I blacked out for a minute. When I came to, nothing really made sense. The whole world seemed to be spinning and I couldn't breathe. Only a few seconds later I burst above the water and took a deep breath.

Coughing, I looked around. "Sonic?" My adrenaline was pretty much gone and I was barely keeping afloat. Where was the hedgehog?

Suddenly, I recalled a conversation that I had had with him a week before we had 'parted' ways.

" _Can't we go to the beach Sonic? It will only take a few minutes to get there if you run at top speed."_

" _Um… I'd rather not. I don't really like water."_

" _What? Why?"_

" _Because… I can't… sort of… swim."_

Panic set in as I frantically searched around for the hedgehog. "Sonic! ...Sonic!"

Nothing.

"Maurice!"

I looked down and squinted in the water. Was it my imagination... or was there something floating below me?

With new found strength, I dove down, using my tails to propel myself deeper. Ignoring the pain throbbing from my injured tail, I pushed farther and farther down until I found Sonic. He wasn't moving. I grabbed him and pushed us both up to the surface.

When we reached the air, I gasped, trying to calm my burning lungs. Sonic didn't move.

"Oh Chaos…" I kicked over to the edge of the lake and dragged the hedgehog up on the sand. With shaking hands I checked for a pulse. Nothing. I stared as his now slightly blue face. "Sonic! Sonic! Wake up! Wake up right now!" I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook, praying that he would open his eyes. "Maurice! Wake up! WAKE UP!" I screamed as loud as I could. My screams turned into sobs.

I stopped shaking and laid him down on the sand. Tears began to stream down my face. "Please wake up… please, Maurice," I whispered, "Don't leave me alone again… please, please wake up."

The hedgehog remained still.

My mind was numb. I felt like I was dead inside.

I _was_ dead inside.

Everyone I had ever cared about, everyone I had ever felt the smallest ounce of love for was now dead. And through it all, I wasn't able to do anything but stand by and watch.

I couldn't save my mother from dying in childbirth.

I couldn't save Lucy from jumping off a bridge.

I couldn't save Sonic from saving me.

He was gone.

Shockingly enough, the tears stopped. I wiped my cheeks dry and stared down at Sonic's lifeless body. So that was it. This was how it ended, with Sonic deciding to die- and leave me all alone again.

I got up and turned to leave, not daring to look back. I couldn't bear the sight of him.

 _*cough*_

I whipped around. It couldn't be… that was impossible...

"...Tails?" _*cough… cough*_

But it was possible. Never in my whole life had I been so happy to see that blasted blue hedgehog.

" _ **Sonic!**_ " I cried, running to him and tackling him a hug. "Holy Chaos, I thought you were… that you had… Sonic!"

"Woah, easy there kid, y'almost knocked the wind outta me." said Sonic, coughing up water between words.

Despite myself I smiled. "Sonic…"

He gently hugged me back.

And now that that was done…

 ***SMACK***

"OW! What in _**chaos**_ was that for, Miles!?"

"Don't you ever do that again! Do you hear me, Sonic Hedgehog?" I yelled at him.

He rubbed the back of his head, "Well, it's not like I had a lot of choices! You were the one who wanted to jump!"

"We didn't have any other options!"

"Then why are you blaming me?"

"Because if you never had left me, none of this would have ever happened!"

Now we were both yelling, each of us on our feet and in each other's faces.

"Well, sorry if I was concerned for your safety!"

"DOES THIS LOOK LIKE 'SAFETY' TO YOU?"

The hedgehog threw his arms in the air. " 'Scuse me if my plan had holes! I can't see the future!"

I glared at him. "I can't either. But do you see me running away from my responsibilities?"

"I'm not running!"

"YES YOU ARE!" I spread my arms towards the smoking town and the remaining rubble from the destroyed robot. "Yes, you stop and help others, but do you actually help the people in YOUR life?"

"I-"

"NO! Look around! Name one person in this forsaken world that you would consider close as family!"

The hedgehog took a step back as if he had been struck. His mouth opened but no sound came out.

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes, glaring into his soul. "That's what I thought."

"Well- I- I-"

"You don't care! You're just a daredevil who enjoys the thrill of adventure! You don't care about me or anyone and never have!"

Sonic's eyes suddenly flashed with something. Something I had only seen directed at one person...Robotnik. I took a step back as the hedgehog took a few steps forward, his anger clear and terrifying.

"Don't you _**ever**_ say that again, _**Miles**_ ," he snarled, "If you know what I've seen… you may count yourself lucky."

"Lucky?" My anger flared, "I watched my sister kill herself. I never knew my Mother. My Father threw me out of the house at the age of three. How is that _lucky_?"

Sonic grabbed me by the shoulders and glared at me. I realized I went too far a little too late.

The hedgehog glared at me for what seemed like eternity then shoved me away. "You don't know what I've gone through. Don't just assume that you're the only one suffering."

I looked at the ground. _Wow, I really am a selfish brat, aren't I?_

Sonic didn't say anything for a second, but took deep breaths as if he was trying to calm down. Then, "I know you don't like me Miles, and I'm sorry about that."

"Sorry? You left me alone!"

"Are we seriously back on this already?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, for Chaos sake! Kid, I've apologized a hundred times! What else do you want from me?"

That was a good question… What did I want from the hedgehog?

"You don't know, do you?" said Sonic, crossing his arms.

"Why do I even put up with you?"

"I've asked myself that very question since I first showed up to rescue you."

"Then… then how about you just go!"

"Fine."

"Fine!"

" **Fine!** " Sonic yelled. He turned around and stormed off towards the woods.

I glared after him, and then realized what I just said. It wasn't him this time… it was me. I was the one pushing him away. Failing at holding in the tears, I leaned against a tree and began to softly cry.

* * *

Sonic's POV:

 _Chaos! He's worse than Sonia and Manic combined!_

I marched towards the forest with that thought in mind. At the edge of the trees I froze. _Didn't we just do this, Maurice? And what happened?_

Let's see… I don't want to think about it.

Very slowly I turned around and watched Tails. He had his back facing me and was pretty much collapsed against a tree.

" _You don't care! You're just a daredevil who enjoys the thrill of adventure! You don't care about me or anyone and never have!"_

Those words stung, because that is what Tails believed. I wanted to tell him so bad, but couldn't seem to find the words to explain what happened to me.

I watched the fox for a few more minutes, and then slowly made my way over. As I got closer, I realized the kid was shaking. _'Shaking with sobs…'_ I thought with a start. I halted just behind him. Cautiously I reached out and put my hands on his shoulders. He pulled away at first, recoiling in startled fright, but he caught sight of me and just stared. I took a deep breath and rested my hands.

At first, Tails continued to cry, but his tears slowed and then vanished completely. He looked at me and gave a small smile. I smiled back. _Say something, Sonic you dope._

"... Frank is waiting for us. We should get going." _Wow. You're a genius._ Tails didn't seem bothered by it though, just nodding and getting up.

"Sonic? Where _is_ Frank?" he asked. Good question.

"I… I'm not really sure, actually." I said sheepishly. "But I have an idea of how to find him. Here, grab onto my back and hold _really_ tight."

"What are we doing exactly?"

"Okay, this probably sounds really dumb, but I was thinking that maybe I could just run around for a while until we find him. He didn't really say where he was going to wait… plus there's the tiniest chance that he would have gone home."

"...what?"

"I might've told him that if he had any trouble then he should book it out of here. And I think that giant robot rampaging through a town counts."

"True." said Tails. "What'll we do if he left?"

"If worst comes to worst, I think I'll be able to carry you back. That sound cool?" He nodded.

"Okay then, hop on." The second Tails got a decent hold on me; I took off, darting through what was left of the forest. We zoomed around, dodging bits of debris and crushed trees. Pretty soon we were back at the abandoned factory, now just a pile of scrap.

"Sheesh, what did 'botnik do to this place?" I muttered under my breath as we sped past.

"S-s-s-sonic!" chattered Tails. "N-n-not s-s-so f-f-f-fast!"

Whoops. I hadn't realized that I was almost at sonic speed. I slowed down about twenty miles an hour.

"T-thanks."

"Don't mention it."

We zipped around a while longer with no luck. I slowed to a stop in a grassy field and sat down.

"Well, I guess he must've left when things got rough. We're gonna have to run home, kid." I said, smoothing back my wind-blown spines. Tails nodded, falling back on the grass.

"Or," he said, pointing up at the clouds. "We could hitch a ride."

I turned to where he was pointing, and I saw a bright red plane soaring through the air. It was Frank.

"Hey!" I shouted, jumping to my feet and waving my arms. "Hey, look down here! FRANK! WE'RE DOWN HERE!"

"FRANK!" yelled Tails, trying to propel himself upward but recoiling in pain.

We jumped around for a few seconds and then I remembered the walkie-talkie that Frank had given me.

"Whelp, I'm an idiot." I face-palmed myself and pulled out the radio. "Frank!" The radio crackled, a familiar wolf's voice rang through the static.

"Sonic? That you?"

'Yeah." I said. "Yeah, it's me, Frank. Look down."

"I see ya, sonny! For a while I thought you were a goner. Do you have Miles?"

The said fox took the radio from me, "Hey Frank."

"Miles! Oh thank Chaos you're alright." I took the radio back.

"Listen, Frank. Can you land in a nearby clearing?"

"Yeah. There's one about two klicks east of your position. I'll meet you there." He signed off and the plane began to turn around.

I smiled and put the radio away. "Come on Miles. Let's get going."

The fox stood up and began to walk ahead while I followed from behind. Suddenly, Tails grunted and stumbled and almost fell to the ground but I caught him.

"Tails! I mean, Miles!" I grabbed him and shook him slightly.

The fox just blinked at me for a second, his eyes unfocused. "Sonic…? I'm really tired…"

My mind tried to recall any medical training I had received in my lifetime. The kid was probably going into shock from the physical, emotional, and mental strain that had been on him for more than a week. I picked him up and cradled him in my arms. "Stay with me, kid. Just until we get to the plane." When in doubt of medical procedure, keep the patient awake.

I started to jog towards the plane. _Please be ready Frank._

 **And I think we're going to stop there. Hope you all enjoyed and please review!**

 **Oceanera12's Sonic Theory #2:** _**Silver the Hedgehog Origin**_

 **I know, I know. Silver? Well despite his horrible game design in Sonic 06', Silver has earned a special place in my heart. But we're not going into that. I want to talk about who the heck he is.**

 **Alright, so there's that whole theory that Silver is Shadow's kid or whatever and then you have the other spectrum that he's Sonic's kid.**

 **Let me break it down in my opinion: The fact that Shadow would have a kid is slim. But then there's the point that Silver has telekinesis and is a psychic (Archie Comics). Therefore he must have high levels of Chaotic energy. Now here's my guessing:**

 **Silver is neither Sonic nor Shadow's son, but most likely a grandson or great-grandson of both.**

 **Before you freak out, let me explain my reasoning. Silver has a combination of both Shadow and Sonic's personalities. Very serious and willing to do anything to get the job done, but he also has a fun loving side and cares about people. If you look at the character design, Silver looks more like Shadow, especially when you look closer at the gloves.**

 **Yes, I meant his gloves. If you notice, Silver wears something that is very similar to inhibitor rings. Not quite the same as his gloves appear to be part of the actually inhibiting. Have you ever wondered what would happen if Silver took his gloves off? It would probably not end well.**

 **If we add the fact that Silver is about 300 years in the future, then we have to assume he's about three to four generations down the line. So here's what I'm guessing. Sonic had a grandson who had a kid. To prevent confusion we'll just assume he was a guy and call him Sonic III.**

 **Shadow in turn, because he doesn't age, probably did have a kid, but not for a long time. So we'll assume that when he did get married it was probably a little bit before Sonic III was born. We'll just assume that he had a girl and call her Maria.**

 **Sonic III and Maria had Silver. Silver is very similar to Shadow because the blood line is more pure. Add the fact that both Sonic III and Maria probably had high amounts of Chaos energy, and you get a kid who has Telekinesis.**

 **So Silver is Sonic's Great-Grandson and is Shadow's Grandson… Confusing, right?**

 **Once again this is a theory. Don't get ticked at me for my opinion. It's NOT cannon. I don't own the characters, they are SEGA's. This is just in my head.**


	27. Shock and a Promise

**Heyo! This chapter involved a lot of research and interesting conversations with my co-writer.** **Comments on reviews:**

 **Autumn: I don't think they argue enough! This is really weird that I think that because I hate it when my siblings and I argue. It just seems like no arguing means not strong enough bond. Too much arguing is the same situation. You need to have healthy arguments. Plus, they almost died, and that can make people's temper snap.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Okay, so I've heard people say 200 years; others say its 300 years. I don't know at this point who's right and who's wrong… I just said 300 because that's the last one I heard. But either way, it could work.**

 **Quantum27: One reason I love that scene in Sonic X when Sonic is stuck in the pool. It makes me die of laughter. He needed to stop running from Tails, he really did… Shadow's** _ **child**_ **and Sonic's** _ **grandchild.**_ **Black fur would probably be recessive and silver fur dominant so either Silver's mother or father had silver fur… Man I wish I could do a Punnett Square on this thing. I'm thinking the genetics would be S-Silver; s-black. So let's say Sonic's grandkid had SS and Shadow's kid had ss. Then all their kids would be Ss. So if silver had a kid, maybe he'd have black fur. Okay, I went into way much detail on that. Sorry.**

Sonic's POV:

Shock is a funny thing.

Actually, I take that back. It's just about the least funny thing in the world.

Especially when it's happening to your best friend.

When Tails collapsed, a million thoughts were running through my head, most of them involving panicked misgivings on how Tails was going to survive this. I'm not gonna lie, was pretty spooked, but it was nothing compared to how Frank reacted.

I had picked up Tails and carried him to the clearing where Frank had landed. The wolf unfastened his pilot goggles and jumped out of the cockpit; but when he turned to face me and the kid, he doubled back, covering his mouth and recoiling in revulsion. I guess it was kind of upsetting, the way Tails looked; his fur was stained and matted with dried blood, he was soaking wet, and his face had turned an alarming shade of grayish-white.

Frank rushed over to Tails and swept him into his arms, his face draining of color. For a minute he seemed to lose the use of his voice, only staring at Tails with a look appropriate to that of a person at the deathbed of a close friend.

"Miles?" he croaked. "Miles, are you okay? Say you're okay. Say it, sonny!"

"I'm-" said Tails meekly. "I'm okay, Frank. Really. I'm fine."

Frank shakily set Tails down in the rear cockpit of the biplane then turned to me.

"What in Chaos happened to him?" he hissed to me. Geez, that man could be downright scary when he was mad.

"Robotnik happened, that's what." I said, crossing my arms. "He forced Tails- er, Miles, to build him a robot of mass destruction, then electrocuted him with an electric collar if he didn't obey."

Frank shuddered, but continued. "Mind telling me why you two look like you took an afternoon swim?"

"Because we did. In a way. We had to dispose of the bot somehow and kinda-sorta-maybe almost drowned. Ish. Maybe." Frank groaned, clutching the bridge of his nose.

"Not a _word_ of this to the wife."

"Yes sir."

Frank climbed back into the cockpit, handing two pairs of flight goggles to Tails and I. I hopped onto the side of the biplane right next to Tails. He had lain down with his feet propped up, already half asleep. Frank started the biplane, and we took off in the air.

"Miles, buddy, you can't go to sleep right now," I said, shaking him gently, at the same time holding tight to the side of the plane. He mumbled something I couldn't understand and his eyes sleepily fluttered open.

"Please Sonic, I'm really tired. I just wanna sleep, okay?" he said, shutting his eyes again. His breathing seemed really shallow. Chaos, I hated to do this.

"No, you gotta stay awake." I said, continuing to shake him. "Hey, uh, you wanna play a game? We've got a long trip ahead of us."

Tails yawned but nodded. "Sure, Sonic. What game?"

"It's called 'let's see who can stay awake the longest'."

"Sonic…"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding… How about 'I Spy'? Here, um, I spy something blue."

"The sky?"

"How'd ya guess? Your turn."

We played a bunch of these types of games for about an hour, and I had to admit, it was fun. I hadn't played since Sonia and Manic died. Sometimes Tails had to explain the rules to me as I had half-forgotten them, but we still had a lot of fun. But eventually, we ran out of games, and Tails started to drift off again.

Maybe I should just let him sleep…

 _Woah, Maurice. If he goes down now, he may never get up._

"Miles, wake up."

The fox opened his eyes. "Are we there yet?"

"Um…" I looked over at Frank who mouthed, 'one hour.'

"We've got an hour to go."

The kid moaned.

 _Okay, keep him awake…_ "Hey, how about I tell you a story?"

Tails breathing had seemed to have gotten a little better. "Isn't that trying to put me to sleep?"

"Um… No, because it's not a fairy tale or happy story."

"Be my guest." His eyes fluttered slightly and I poked him in the ribs to wake him up.

"Okay, a story… Um… Well, once upon a time… there was a boy."

 _Where in Chaos was I going with this?_

"He had a good family. Loving parents, amazing siblings…" My voice died off for a second.

Tails gave a small smile, "You still there?"

"Y-Yeah. One day the boy was playing with his siblings in some woods. His Dad had been away for a long time and the boy heard him come home. The kids were excited and ran to meet him. But something was wrong." I paused. "You still awake?"

"No…" the kid mumbled. He opened his eyes again.

I smiled slightly then frowned, "Their Mom told them they needed to run. She grabbed the kids and they all ran into the forest, running from something… bad. Something really bad. Their Father stayed behind. After a while of running, the boy heard a boom. When he looked behind him he saw a large cloud of smoke rising from where his house was."

Tails closed his eyes again and I shook him gently. He opened his eyes and groaned, "Alright, go on." he said, his voice was slurred and soft.

"The mom told her kids to keep running to their Uncle's house, then she ran back to help the dad. The boy told his siblings to go ahead and he would catch up later. He-" My voice broke slightly then steadied out, "He watched as his parents were ki-killed by a horrible, horrible man. Then he ran to try and save his siblings. But he wasn't f-fast enough to get them to s-safety."

 _Why are you telling him this? WHY ARE YOU BEING SO STUPID?_

"They were caught by the man and he shot at them. There was an explosion and then the boy blacked out. W-When he c-came to, his siblings…" I trailed off again. After a few moments of calming myself I continued, "His siblings were… gone. His Uncle's house was burned to the ground. And… he was all alone." My voice cracked and a lump formed in my throat.

Tails mumbled something and his eyes squinted open. I took his hand and gently squeezed it. "Stay awake, Miles."

"Sonic…" he mumbled. The poor kid was pretty much unconscious. I sat in silence and just stared at him a while. The sun was setting, painting the ground in orange and red hues.

Frank yelled over the engine. "Almost there!"

I snapped out of my trance. "Okay Miles, hold on a little longer." I said, cradling his head in my arms. He just nodded slowly, barely moving his head.

Without a real reason why, I continued talking, "This boy was alone for a long time. He had a lot of pain and nobody liked him. He was an outcast. But then one day, a few years later, he met another boy. This boy hadn't had a very happy life either. He didn't have any parents or siblings that looked out for him."

I tightened my grip on Miles as he moaned slightly. The plane started to descend. Now the light was almost completely gone.

"The two became good friends and stayed with each other for a while. They even saved each other's lives a few times. But they didn't always see eye to eye. Sometimes they fought, and… sometimes they cried." I closed my eyes and felt a single tear go down my face. "The younger boy never knew what he meant to the older one. I guess the older boy didn't realize it either until his friend wasn't there anymore."

I felt the plane shift under me as we landed. Without waiting for the plane to come to a complete stop, I grabbed Tails and ran inside the machine shop.

Bernice was standing at the window staring at the plane when I zipped in the kitchen doors, probably almost giving her a heart attack. As soon as she saw Tails she cried out and immediately went to work on bandaging him, taking him away from me and laying him on a couch. "Go get Vanilla!"

One minute later I stood on the front porch of the rabbit's house. I banged on the door until she opened it. No words were needed. Vanilla simply stared at me then went to grab Cream.

We drove over to the shop in an old beat up Camry. No one spoke (well, Cream tried to talk, but her Mother gently shushed her and told her to go back to sleep.) The drive there seemed to take forever, but it was probably less than ten minutes.

Vanilla never sidetracked while attending to Tails, but went straight to work. I stood in the doorway watching for Chaos knows how long, until Bernice ordered me to go to bed.

I found the nearest couch and laid down, trying to get comfortable. My mind was numb and I felt like I wasn't breathing. I didn't sleep very well that night… or the night after that. All I could think was that this whole ordeal- Tails being kidnapped and practically treated like a slave, then nearly drowning in a lake after battling the monster he had been forced to build- it was all my fault. And now, he was in some kind of shock-induced coma with enough bumps and bruises to last him a lifetime.

A few days later, when things started to calm down a bit, Vanilla would yell at me for not keeping Miles where he was, explaining that when a person can go into shock, it can get so serious that it would eventually kill them. I was lucky the kid hadn't ended up dead. One night during one of the awkwardly silent dinners, Frank and Bernice offered to legally adopt the both of us. I politely refused on my behalf (I don't think I'd be comfortable with it after living as an orphan for so long), but I left Tails' half of the decision to him when he woke up.

 _ **If**_ _he wakes up. Oh sweet Chaos, I hope he wakes up._

About three days after we arrived and Tails slipped into the coma, I finally had the urge to go on a run to clear my head up. Things were moving too fast for _me_ to completely comprehend, and that's saying something.

A full out search for Robotnik had been laid out by GUN. I guess he finally got on their radar of 'something that's probably worth our time'. A little late, if you ask me. The 'good' Doctor had gotten away pretty clean, leaving no trace of where he went. I had some suspicions of his location, but was too concerned about Tails to actually care.

Vanilla told me that Miles was suffering from multiple fractures, cuts, bruises, and of course recovering from severe electrocution. I still wanted to kill Robotnik for putting that collar on him. Add all of that to the fact that he was fighting with these injuries and fell from a ridiculous height into a very deep lake (and was a _freakin' seven year old_ ), and you had a lot of recovery time.

I ran around the hills of the city, making sure to avoid the construction areas that had been recently marked off.

When Robotnik had kidnapped Tails, GUN had been horrified at how close he got to one of their bases without any early warning. Since then, they had begun to build up more defenses and security. Because of the heavier security, people felt a lot safer if they were near the base. Thus we had houses and businesses planned out and a great need of buildings in the area. Yes, this little town was going to grow. There was already talk about changing the name to something a little more fitting for the growing area. One suggestion had been Guntown, but no one really liked it. I personally was hoping for the name that Frank had proposed, Station Square.

Not sure how far or long I ran until I reached Tails old town. It was still a mess, and didn't look like it would be getting fully repaired anytime soon. In fact, it looked like almost everyone was moving out of the old town. Cars lined the roads and suitcases were strapped to the top.

Vaguely, I wondered if the pink hedgehog I had met here was down there. Her name… Amy, or Amelia. That was it. Part of me wanted to go find out. A girl that wasn't afraid to get dirty or lend a hand in a fight was an unusual thing in this world. _Eh… I'm sure I'll run into her again._

I turned around and zipped away, leaving a small dust trail behind. It had been about six hours since I had left the house, well past lunch time. I thought it was high time I got back. Maybe Tails had woken up… That thought alone made me pick up the speed ever so slightly.

* * *

Tails POV:

I had a really weird dream. I was running through a forest calling for Maurice with an older, light gray hedgehog. Both of us were very quiet, but still calling as loud as we could in a soft voice. Something was nearby and we really didn't want to run into it.

Suddenly, a snap rang out in the air. I hid behind a tree while the hedgehog dove in a bush. Very slowly, I creeped around the corner and came face to face with Robotnik. He got this big smirk on his face.

" _Boo."_

And that's when I woke up.

I bolted awake in my old room at the Roberts. I rubbed my eyes and looked around, trying to remember how I got there. Then it all came back: the robot, the pain, Maurice, the lake. And then everything became a big blur right after Sonic and I…

 _Sonic!_

I looked around the room slightly panicked. No one was there. A tray with a light lunch was the only indication that someone actually had come in. I climbed out of bed and crept out the door, down the stairs, and into the kitchen.

From the garage, there was a loud banging noise. Frank must be in the shop working, which probably meant that Bernice was at the store since she wasn't in the kitchen or living room. Sonic was nowhere in sight.

I sat down on the couch trying to comprehend what had happened. Sonic and I had defeated the robot and we were going to join Frank… We had run and found him then… I had to stay awake. I had no idea why, but I knew I had to stay awake. Then everything just became a huge blur. Frank must have flown us here, but where was the hedgehog?

Did he leave again?

Tears threatened to break lose. I took some deep breaths to try and calm down, but it didn't help. He wouldn't have left me here… right?

There was no sign of anyone other than Bernice and Frank living here. I buried my face in my hands and started to cry as reality sank in again.

Suddenly, I was jolted out of my trance as a large 'boom' echoed in the air.

The back door opened and in walked a sweating Sonic. When he saw me, a large smile broke across his face. "Miles! You're awake! I was hoping you'd be up when I got back from-"

I pretty much tackled the hedgehog with a hug, tears still streaming.

"Woah! Easy there, Miles!" He looked very confused. "Why are you crying? Calm down, kiddo." He gently hugged me back and wiped away the tears. "Miles, what's wrong?"

I didn't answer; my voice seemed to have vanished from the rolling emotions. When I finally got some sound back, it was barely a whisper. "I- I- I th-thought you had le-left again."

No answer was said from the hedgehog, but he tightened his grip on me slightly. I continued to cry softly, trying to stop but to no avail.

We stood there in virtual silence for several minutes, Sonic holding me as I cried. However, as I began to calm down, I heard Sonic mumble something. I knew it wasn't directed at me or at anyone. Two words were spoken, just a soft mumble. "Never again."

I pulled back. "What?"

The hedgehog remained silent. He knelt down and put his hands on my shoulders. "Miles… Do you trust me?"

Did I trust him? The obvious answer was, 'yes'. But the fact that he felt the need to ask that made me a little uneasy. "...Yes."

"Then trust me when I say this; I'm not going to leave you ever again. I promise. You're like family now. Do you believe that Ta- Miles?"

I nodded and hugged him again. He gripped me tightly, as if making sure I wasn't about to disappear. I mumbled something.

"What?" Sonic pulled back.

With a small smile on my face I replied, "Tails. You can call me Tails."

The hedgehog stared at me for a moment then a grin appeared. I was pulled into yet another tight embrace. I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I kind of always wanted a brother."

I felt Sonic stiffen slightly then relax. After a few minutes, I felt something wet slide down the side of my face, but it wasn't my own tears. I shifted and found the source.

Sonic was crying.

I had never seen him cry, at least not in person. It was kind of unnerving.

"Maurice? Are… are you okay?"

He tightened his grip slightly. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine… little brother."

 **You know, I could just end the story right here… But then I'd leave out all the fun! (; That's right, we're not done quite yet! We still have to explain some things such as: Where do Sonic and Tails live? Where did** _ **The Tornado**_ **come from? Why is it legal for a 12 year old to take care of a 7 year old? And how in the world do they keep paying the bills/maintenance on the plane alone?**

 **So I'm guessing 1… maybe 2 chapters left? And of course I'm forgetting the sneak peak chapter of what to expect in the sequel. So about 3 chapters.**

 **OH MY CHAOS! WE'RE ALMOST DONE! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? BECAUSE I CAN'T!**

 **Review please!**

 _ **Co-writer's Note:**_

 _ **Hey everyone! This is HaloEssence111, Oceanara12's cowriter. This has been so much fun to write, and it's gotten me back into the Sonic fandom (and helped me get over the depression that began when Gravity Falls ended). There's lots more drama and action in store for the next few stories, so stay tuned for more!**_

 _ **Also, spoiler alert, I ship SonicxAmy.**_

 _ **And CreamxTails.**_

 _ **And I'm gonna stop talking now.**_


	28. The Tornado

**Oh my Chaos… I'm freaking out over here! Just because we're almost done! Okay so for the record here's my 'to-do' list.**

 **1\. Finish 'Miles from Home.'**

 **2\. Start and Finish 'Shattered Thorns.' (Aka- Amy's backstory. Don't worry. It's only going to be about 6-10 chapters. Most likely only 6. It will take hopefully only a month. Maybe two. Sorry, but I want to get it out of the way before moving on with the sequel.)**

 **3\. Start sequel to 'Miles from Home.' (Title to be released at later date- try and guess what it is!)**

 **Halo (I'm not typing out HaloEssence111 every time, so from now on my co-writer will be referred to as 'Halo.' at least from me. And she can call me Era.) will be helping me on all of them. And we will be posting a 'sneak-peak' of the sequel at the end of the story, even though it will not be up for about a month and a half or more.**

 **Comments on Reviews:**

 **juancastri11: Oh my Chaos, why in the world is it only your reviews? I'm sorry! And yes, I think your English is getting a lot better. Wish I could say the same for my Spanish. Hablo Espanol muy mal. (And I don't think that was correct grammar…)**

 **Autumn: *blushes* Well that's some pretty high praise. Tails is one of my favorites too. One reason I feel really bad about making him suffer.**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Um… *puts hands up* Please don't kill me!**

 **Guest: Will do. Thanks for the review!**

 ** _To anyone else who reviewed:_ For some bizarre reason I can't access your reviews! So I can't see who reviewed or what you said. So if no one else reviewed, I can't tell! What the heck? Fanfiction is sometimes a pain… But if you did review, thanks!**

 _ **Recommended Songs:**_ _ **Don't You Worry Child- Madilyn Bailey cover AND This Song Saved my Life- Simple Plan**_

Sonic's POV:

Frank and Bernice made sure that Tails and I were comfortable for almost a full month. I had to admit, they were pretty cool. I felt like they were the 'Fun Aunt and Uncle.'

Frank was very patient with my crazy need for speed. Of course, he would never try and go faster, but simply say something like, "Have a little patience," or "Can't rush everything."

Bernice was one of the best cooks I had ever met. She made everything from Mac and Cheese to Baked Alaska and all of it tasted like manna from heaven.

Then there was Tails. His recovery was very slow, and for once I didn't mind. In fact, I think he was a little annoyed at me 'babying him', as he put it. But hey, I was still feeling guilty for what happened. I knew he had forgiven me, but I couldn't seem to forgive myself. Not yet, at least.

" _I kind of always wanted a brother."_

When those words had been said, I felt a mix of emotions. Some positive, some negative.

Fear came from the past and what lay in the future. I didn't want to lose anyone ever again. I think I knew that if I did, I wouldn't be able to take it.

The sorrow was sort of mixed. I had let my guard down and now I had an adopted brother. But I also felt like I was somehow replacing my siblings. My shock was just that. Tails thought of me as a brother? After everything that had happened? I mean, I almost let him die!

But after all that, I actually got a little excited. If Tails wanted a brother then I'd try my best. Warrant, I knew I wouldn't be the best brother in the world. In fact, I would probably be one of the worst ones. I mean, I just couldn't stop fighting Robotnik and the kid wouldn't want to stay behind. So I'd probably have to drag him along and make sure he didn't get killed. Not the best brother if you purposely bring him into danger.

Finally, a wave of peace seemed to just sweep over me. I wasn't replacing my family...just adding to it. Miles needed me and I needed him. There was no way to deny that. That was why I cried.

But that had been almost two weeks ago. Tails had completely recovered with little difficulties or delays and was now helping Frank in the shop again every now and then. Something about finishing a boat that slammed into a harbor… whatever. Not my business.

Meanwhile, I had been helping GUN out with tracking down Robotnik, or at least trying to. So far nothing had come up. Every night I stayed at the Roberts then left before the sun rose completely. I barely saw Tails so we didn't get any chance to talk about...well, anything. So I was sort of surprised when a small knocking sound echoed from the bedroom door as I was relaxing on my bed.

I had been staying out in the barn in a side room that probably was a tack room at some point. Bernice and Frank must have thrown it together at the last minute after I arrived. The bed was simply an old mattress thrown on a plywood plank laid on the floor. It was the only 'furnishing' in the room, and was very comfortable, strangely enough.

A little startled, I sat up. "Come in."

The door creaked open and in popped Tails' head. "Hey, Sonic."

"Tails! How are you?" I motioned for him to come join me on the bed. I sat up and put my feet on the floor. The fox plopped next to me.

"I'm good. It's been fun working in the shop. How about you?"

"Ugh. Robotnik just vanished into thin air. It's like he's a ghost! A really annoying, evil, insane ghost." I smiled. "So, what you want to see me for?"

"I don't know…" Tails pulled his knees into his chest. "I guess I just missed hanging out with you." He gave a slight smile.

"I miss our adventures, too." I paused. "Tell you what: Tomorrow we'll do whatever you want. Okay?"

Tails smile grew. "I'd like that. But don't you need to… you know… find Robotnik?"

"Eh. He's not going anywhere. Probably. I don't really know what he's up to these days. But you're the most important thing right now." I ruffled his hair slightly.

"Sonic! Stop it!" He giggled, pushing my hand away.

I pretended to be hurt, but couldn't hide the smile on my face. "Alright, Tails. Anything else?"

"Um…" he scrunched up his face as he tried to think of anything. "Well… I don't know how to break this to you, but the Roberts want to adopt me."

"Yeah. I knew that. They offered to adopt me too."

"Really?" asked Tails, perking up. "That's-"

"I said no."

"Oh." Tails said awkwardly. "Why?"

"I dunno." I said, kicking a little ball of lint on the floor. "I guess… I've been on my own for so long… it'd just feel weird if I suddenly had parents again."

Tails shifted on the 'bed', "I guess that makes sense."

I looked down at my hands. "What about you? What are you gonna do?" I didn't know what I wanted him to do. Part of me was hoping he would stick around, but I also wanted him to be happy and safe, and happiness and safety was exactly what the Roberts could provide him with.

There was a moment of silence. Tails looked at the ground, a million miles away.

"What'cha thinkin about, kid?" I asked.

"Nothing really… Just a dream I had awhile back."

"Oh. So what are you going to do?"

"Well… I think I want to…"

"What? C'mon buddy, spit it out!" The tension was killing me… well, not really, but at the same time it was and- You know what? Forget it.

"... I think I want to stay with you."

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. But in a good way. When I didn't answer immediately, Tails rushed ahead, talking twenty miles per hour (or Miles Prower… heh heh, wordplay. Actually, I probably shouldn't think that… He doesn't like it. I'm done talking now.). "Butifyoudon'twantthatthenIcanalwaysjusttellFrankandBernicethatI'llbemovinginand-"

"Woah! Again, I run that fast. My ears don't pick up sound faster!"

"... I don't think that's how you would say it."

"Doesn't matter. And of course I want you to stay! Sheesh."

Tails smiled. "Okay then. I'll stay with you."

The silence we sat in was awkward and comfortable, as strange as that sounds. I finally forced a yawn just to break the quiet.

'Welp, I'm beat." I said, stretching. "I'm gonna turn in. See ya in the morning, Tails."

"Okay. Night, bro."

"Oh, okay. We use that term now."

"Is...that okay?"

Oh Chaos, I just made this three kinds of weird. Nice going, Sonic. "It's cool. Night, bro. It sounds better when I say it."

Tails rolled his eyes and left. I waited until he had left, then laid back, staring at the ceiling. Little bro, huh?

I could get used to this.

* * *

Tails POV:

"Catch me if you can!" Sonic yelled as he ran deeper into the forest.

I spun my tails as fast as I could, but it was rather pointless. "Sonic! I think you're cheating at this game!"

Whose bright idea had it been to play tag? Oh wait… mine.

"I'm not cheating. I'm just winning!"

"You run at the speed of sound!"

"That's not cheating. There's no rule against it."

Sonic had stopped running to talk, giving me the chance to catch up. Just as I reached out my hand to tag him, he pulled away, disappearing in a blue blur. Jerk.

"SONIC!"

"I'm winning, not cheating!"

Keep telling yourself that…

Frank saved me from having to chase him down. "MILES! SONIC! WHERE ARE YOU?"

First thought: Robotnik had been spotted. I sucked in a breath to call Sonic, but he beat me to it by zipping by and plucking me off the ground.

"AHH!"

"Sorry, Tails!"

We zipped back to the Roberts. When we arrived at the runway, Frank was nowhere in sight. I cupped my hands over my mouth, "Frank!"

"Miles, I'm in the barn! Get over here, quick!"

Oh, Chaos. Okay, let's be logical about this- First possible situation: Robotnik was back and he was heading this way in an indestructible robot of pure terror. Not good. Second situation: Frank and Bernice had planned a wonderful surprise for Sonic and I. That sounded much more pleasant. All the way to the barn, I kept thinking, _Please be option two, please be option two…_

Sonic pushed open the door and poked his head in as if to check if the coast was clear. "Frank?"

"Come in kiddos! I got a surprise for you!"

 _Yes! Option two! It's the best day ever!_

With much more enthusiasm, Sonic and I ran into the building. Frank was standing near a tool bench, nervously cleaning off some engine grease from a large wrench.

"What's going on?" Sonic asked.

The old wolf put down the wrench and motioned for us to follow him. He lead us over to a large canvas covering something. With a simple tug, he yanked the covering off to reveal the biplane. "I have a small problem. The wife is getting a little annoyed with all of the space my plane is taking up. She says if I can't find a 'good' purpose for it then she'll scrap it herself." He shrugged. "Usually I wouldn't pay attention as she isn't usually serious. But she's already called in a guy who owns some junkyard _WAY_ down south to sell and haul the parts. So…"

My heart picked up a little bit. "Are you saying…?"

"You two want the plane? It's not safe here anymore."

Sonic held up a time-out sign. "HOLD IT! Why is your wife trying to get rid of your plane?"

"Technically it's not really mine."

Now the hedgehog looked really confused. I took pity on him and explained. "Frank got it from an Echidna about two or three years ago. The guy hasn't come back, so he's sort of taken unofficial possession of it."

Sonic stiffened up slightly. "An Echidna? Was he red?"

"Yes…" Frank frowned. "Why do you ask?"

"...No reason. So the plane: what if the owner shows up and wants his plane back? What'll you do then?"

"Sonic, the man hasn't come back in three years." said Frank gently. "If he does end up coming back, which is highly unlikely, it wouldn't matter. I have a year renewal in my shop. If you haven't picked it up in a year, I legally own it. But I usually don't actually 'take ownership' of it, but usually scrap it for parts or sell it. If I kept everything...well Bernice would have already filed for divorce."

I raised a timid hand, "Then why haven't you done that?"

"Eh… The guy seemed pretty nice. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus it's an awesome plane."

"True." I nodded. Maybe a little too eager I turned to Sonic, "Can we keep it? Please?"

Sonic scratched the back of his head. "I don't know Tails… You sure you want it?"

"YES! BY CHAOS, YES!"

"Okay, okay, be my guest. But if we're keeping it, it needs a paint job."

"Done." I ran over to a giant pile of paint cans. "May we?" I asked Frank.

He smiled. "Be my guest."

"What color?"

"Blue. Then it matches me." He smirked arrogantly and crossed his arms, a little amused by my reaction.

I rolled my eyes but complied anyway, grabbing a can of blue paint. "You're so superficial."

"That has 'super' in it, so I'm choosing to take it as a compliment."

I've mentioned that the hedgehog is an idiot? Right? Because he is in the best possible way.

With another eye roll, I grabbed a can of yellow paint. "There. Now we're both superficial."

"Yeah! We're super!" Sonic zipped over and stole the can of yellow.

"First of all: You grabbed the wrong can. Second, I'm getting you a dictionary for your birthday."

"And I will burn it. Now come one, this thing needs painting! Let's get started!"

* * *

Sonic's POV:

Have you ever tried to wash paint out of your quills? It's not pleasant. I had to take three showers and still didn't have all of it off. To add insult to injury, it was yellow paint (I may or may not have gotten in a short-lived war with Tails that involved us flinging paint at each other. But at least now he was blue).

"So what should we call it?" I stepped back and admired our handywork.

Tails brushed his hands off. "Well… We could call it, _Maurice_."

"No. How about Miles?" I said.

"Ha ha, very funny. Not on your life. We could call it The Blizzard." Tails made a dramatic gesture with his hands.

"It's not snowing."

Tails shrugged. "Well, it is November. It should snow soon. Well it should have snowed by now, but it has been a dry year."

"We're not calling it that." I tapped my foot in thought. Suddenly, it came to me. "I got it! We could call it, 'The Chilly Dog'!"

Tails just stared at me. "You're serious."

"As a heart attack."

"No. Just, just… no."

"Well then, what do you suggest, smart guy?"

"Hmm…" Tails rubbed his chin in thought. "How about… _The Twister_?"

Now I was confused. "Isn't that, like, a board game or something?"

"Fine. How about _The Tornado_?"

I paused and thought about it. It certainly sounded pretty cool. "Why The Tornado?"

"Well… Our relationship has sort of been a Tornado of emotions."

Okay, had to give him that. "That and it does sound pretty cool."

"So that's a yes?"

"Why not? _The Tornado._ Nice job, Tails."

After naming the plane, Tails painted the name on the side in white. Then he started to mess around with the engine and other parts. When I asked what he was doing, he simply told me it was a surprise. Then he ordered me to do something useful by cleaning out the cockpits. Finding nothing better to do, I reluctantly complied.

The first cockpit wasn't too crazy. Just ID papers in the glove compartment (yes it has a glove compartment...why not?) that confirmed my suspicions of the previous owner. _"Where are you Locke?"_ I wondered briefly why he hadn't come to pick up his plane yet. Maybe something delayed him? Or perhaps some worse fate had fallen upon him.

With that happy thought, I moved to the second cockpit. With no glove compartment, I resorted to looking under the seats for loose change. All I got was a handful of lint. _Well that was a waste of time._

I went to stand up but ended up banging my head painfully on the bottom of the console making a large ringing noise. "OW!"

"You okay, Sonic?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I rubbed my head and pulled out. As I was recovering from the bruise I noticed that I had bent a piece of metal out of place. _Great...Tails is gonna love this. Well, maybe he won't notice if I bend it back in place._

I pushed, but nothing happened. _Ugh… perfect._ I pushed harder and harder, but the piece refused to move. Suddenly the metal rod popped out of the socket, making a large square completely detach. "Great…" I muttered, slapping my forehead.

"What was that?" asked Tails.

"Nothing, Tails!" I reached down to grab the metal square when something shiny caught my eye. Curious, I reached up and grabbed it. A wave of energy and strength seemed to surge through me; I felt like I could do anything. My emotions seemed to just jump all over the place, from fear to anger; from anger to peace. It felt...chaotic. Out of the hole popped a green emerald, glittering brightly.

"Holeee Chaos," I muttered, staring at the emerald in my hand. I got up to tell Tails, but stopped myself. The exclamation caused my memory to be triggered.

" _I don't know exactly when or how but a really long time ago, my ancestors, an ancient clan of Echidnas, were tasked with the responsibility of protecting the Chaos Emeralds-"_

" _Wait, there's more than one?"_

" _There are eight counting the Master Emerald. None of them are as big as this. The other seven can fit in your hand. They're a less powerful."_

Could this be a-?

"Sonic! Bernice just called for dinner." said Tails, cleaning off his hands with a rag. "You coming?"

"Yeah. Hang on a second." I put the emerald back in the compartment and shut it up with the rod. If Locke hid it, there must be a good reason. Also, I really did not want to find out about that 'Dark' form Knuckles described.

" _What about the other seven?"_

" _They went missing a long time ago. I doubt you'll ever see them, let alone find one."_

Just my luck. Wonder if Locke even knew about the emerald…

"Sonic!"

"Coming!" I ran out of the barn. I really needed a chili dog after all of this…

 **Well that was fun! So I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Halo and I enjoyed writing it together.**

 **For the name Tornado, I couldn't really come up with a good reason on why that name was chosen so Halo and I put our heads together and that's what we came up with. Not the best, but hey. What else could we do?**

 **Also, the emerald is really not that important. I just wanted to introduce the smaller emeralds to the hedgehog. So sorry if anyone was super excited about it.**

 **Next Chapter: We explain why the heck Sonic can keep a seven year old. And then we end with a fun little finale scene. Next time.**

 **Review please!**


	29. A New Home

**I can't believe that this is it! All of the time and effort that Halo and I have put in this story has completely paid off with all of your reviews, favorites, and follows. I am so grateful to all of you and hope you enjoy the final chapter for Miles from Home. Comments on reviews! (And since I couldn't see half of them at one point, I will be commenting on all reviews since chapter 27.)**

 **Autumn: I got all of your reviews. (; Relax, I find it hilarious. But I'm glad you enjoyed it that much! (;**

 **Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT: Well here are your reasons! (; Hope you enjoy.**

 **Guest: Locke… I actually haven't decided. I'm thinking he's dead. Most likely dead. Sorry. *blushes* I'm so glad you think that.**

 **Caisha12: sequel. I'm glad you liked it and hope you enjoy the last chapter and hope to see you in the sequel! (;**

 **Juancastri11: I'm sorry that you'll cry… before the sequel. Sorry, but at the same time is just too much. See, I can't put the 'n' with the dots on this thing (or I don't know how…) And relax, I'm still here.**

 **Anna799: Please do not print it… but thank you for that high praise!**

 **Quantum27: Fanfiction can be an idiot at certain points….**

 **John: Hi! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Hope you like this last chapter. You know, I love Shadow, but I feel like every time I try to do his personality I completely ruin him… It's kind of annoying.**

Sonic's POV:

I hate snow. I makes it very difficult to run and fly while simultaneously dodging and destroying Swatbots.

"Tails! Dive!"

"I know, I know!" The fox slammed into the controls, forcing the plane down. "See this? This is why we don't fly in freezing weather!"

"Well, I wasn't running us half way around the world just to confront Robotnik's annoying troops!" I gripped the side of the cockpit as we tumbled into a tailspin. "Chaos! Get us flying!"

"Engine stalled! Hang on!"

"What else am I supposed to do?"

It had been a month since Frank had given us the plane. Tails and I took off two days later, searching for Robotnik. We had found him and, long story short, beat him up. But I guess Robotnik was down, but not out. As we were flying back to the Roberts for a visit (we had promised to check in every once in a while.), we were attacked by a small army of Swatbots.

"Tell me again why they can fly?" I yelled over the engine as Tails started it back up and yanked us up just in time.

"I may have updated Robotnik's robots a little too well." he said sheepishly.

 _No… you updated them perfectly!_ Of course I didn't say that out loud, but still. When you're being held captive against your will and are being forced to upgrade, don't give very good upgrades!

"Left!" I yelled. Tails complied and we dodged the laser fire that had erupted out of the robots.

"So now what?" I yelled.

Tails dove down then circled up right. "Pray that this works!"

"What works?"

He didn't answer, but pushed a button on the console as we flew toward a small army of bots. Laser fire suddenly erupted out of the tips of the wings of _The Tornado._

I just stared in a mixture of shock and wonder as the bots were blown to pieces. "So that's what you were working on."

"Do you like it?" Tails asked with a smile.

"As long as we survive… yes, I like it very much."

After a few more lasers, the remaining robots retreated. And just in time; we were almost out of gas.

"Well… I need to add a heater to that thing." Tails said as he climbed out of the plane. We had landed on the old runway in the Robert's backyard with the engine making very interesting noises. "We may need to stay here for a little while…" He tightened the tattered green scarf around his neck, shivering slightly and frowned in the direction of the engine. "I don't like that sound."

"Or the smoke." I commented as a small stream of smoke began to come out of the panel.

Tails ran over and opened the panel, coughing and fanning the smoke away. "Chaos!" He messed with something then called over his shoulder. "Go get Frank! And tell Bernice we'll be a while."

 _If Frank and Bernice were expecting us, then where were they?_ I wondered as I walked towards the building, shivering. I had given Tails my only source of warmth in the winter, an old scarf I had had for three years and should probably have thrown away by now. We were definitely low on money...like, completely drained. All of Tails' earnings had gone to gas for the plane. Food was low and comfort even lower. Yet Tails was still with me… that's what surprised me.

I had to give it to the fox, he was loyal. But still, I knew that it was only a matter of time before we either froze to death or starved. It hadn't reached the really cold time of year yet, but we were both shivering every night already.

My thoughts were interrupted when Frank opened the back door and dashed towards _The Tornado_ without a word. When I looked behind me I noticed the smoke had gotten worse. Definitely not the best idea to fly that thing in freezing weather...

Bernice called out for me to come inside and warm my hands. I didn't argue, but huddled near a small electric furnace. She brought in four steaming cups of hot chocolate. "Where are the boys?"

"Something's wrong with the plane. They're trying to fix it."

With a small smile, she handed me the drink. I downed it pretty quick, disregarding any precautions at burning my tongue or throat. After I had cooled down my mouth (which took about five minutes) I glanced around at the room. "Well this is cozy. How's everything been?"

"Well, with Christmas coming up, Frank has been awful busy. I've been having fun little baking parties with Vanilla and Cream. They're awful lonely this time of year."

We continued talking for almost an hour. By the time the two mechanics came in it was almost eight pm. Their cocoa had long been cold, but Bernice fixed that pretty quick.

"So what's up with the plane?" I asked, scooting over to make room for Tails in front of the furnace.

Tails warmed his hands with his beverage, sipping it slowly. "Nothing good. A few parts need to be completely replaced. Others are damaged pretty badly and will take a long time to repair."

"Next time, make sure you have a heater to keep the pistons from freezing." Frank gave a smile. Tails and I exchanged sheepish smiles.

"We'll keep that in mind." said Tails, taking a sip from his cocoa. We sat in silence for a second, and then Bernice clapped her hands together. "Well! Time to eat!"

"Now I'm for that. Is it chili dogs?" I asked.

Unfortunately, it wasn't chili dogs, but a warm and filling potato soup. After dinner, we had some more hot chocolate and some freshly baked brownies. Bernice sure knew how to cook heavenly meals.

Tails and I pretty much devoured our food. We hadn't had a square meal in three days, so it wasn't really a surprise. But it really got me thinking… how in Chaos was I supposed to take care of a seven year old fox? It wasn't just the food, but shoes, shelter, and a warm bed were also lacking. Definitely the worst big brother in history.

That night, I couldn't sleep a wink.

The next morning I woke up to loud voices. I sat up and looked around. Bernice had replaced the large full bed in the guest room with two twin beds pushed against opposite walls.

Tails was still fast asleep in the other bed. I smiled and straightened his covers, as they had slid off a little ways then left him to his dreams. When I got to the stairs I could finally make out the voices.

"-asleep. You'll just have to come back later." Bernice's gentle, but firm voice reached my ears.

A voice I had never heard before, a deep rougher voice answered her. "I need to speak with Sonic immediately, Mrs. Roberts. Why can you not wake him?"

"Because, despite all he's done for the world, Sonic is still a twelve year old boy who needs his sleep." Bernice sounded more than a little annoyed with the stranger.

I couldn't help but smile. But that smile didn't last long. _Who in Chaos wanted to see me?_

"If he's not awake, then I'll just wait. It is imperative that I speak with him as soon as possible."

My curiosity got the better of me. I walked down the stairs and paused at the bottom, leaning against the wall. "And who may I ask who needs to speak with me so badly?"

Bernice whirled around, startled, but my focus wasn't on her.

An older human man stood in the entry way. He had gray hair and was wearing a light blue uniform with a lot of GUN credentials on it. But what was the most startling were his eyes. One was blue; one was brown. "My name is General Towers. It's about time we talked, Sonic the Hedgehog"

We sat down in the living room. I sat down on the couch while the General made himself comfortable in an cushy armchair. Bernice excused herself to make some breakfast for the both of us. The General didn't say a word, but stared at me, his eyes piercing me like a knife. I stared back, but my thoughts were far from him.

Why in all things Chaotic did the General of GUN want to talk to me? Was this about Robotnik? Or worse: was it about Miles?

After a few minutes of silence, my patience finally wore thin. "Can you please tell me what this is about, General Towers?"

"Of course. Let me give it to you straight: The government is a little… concerned about you."

"Concerned how?" _About a twelve year old taking custody of a seven year old?_

"Simply put, they aren't completely comfortable with a twelve year old leading the fight against a madman." I let out a breath of relief; this wasn't about Tails.

"Well, I wouldn't have had to if GUN had stepped up sooner." I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Point taken, but still, you're very young to be taking on this all alone. Of course it's not just that. I've heard you've taken a sidekick."

"First of all, he's not my sidekick." I argued, bristling at the term. "He's my adopted brother. And second, what does he have to do with anything?"

The General leaned forward in his chair and put his head in his hands. "Several Child Service agencies have taken notice of your unofficial adoption and are concerned about you taking care of him. Certain elements necessary for a child's upbringing are hard to come by when you're only twelve years old and fighting evil twenty four-seven. Now, I believe that Miles wants to be with you, but there is his safety to worry about. After all, wasn't he just kidnapped by Robotnik only a few months ago?"

"Yes, but that was my fault. It won't happen again."

"And I believe you, but there is a significant chance that he will get hurt again. There is only so much medical knowledge you can attain at this age, none of it nearly enough if he gets seriously injured on the job. And...there is concern about his father."

My jaw tightened, "What about him?"

"For the past month or so, Mr. Prower has shown interest in Miles' custody."

"What?" I stood up, fists clenched. "After what he did to Tai-Miles? No! I won't let him take him!"

"Calm down, Sonic. We're researching his past relations with his son. You have to understand that many people would prefer to give the father another chance than allow a twelve year old full custody."

"You don't know his dad," I growled. My anger was boiling; they were actually going to give that guy a chance? No. I wouldn't let that happen, not in a million years.

General Towers motioned for me to sit down again. "That's why I'm here. I need to run a background check on you and see what we can do. I've seen you fight and your relationship with Miles. I'd like to try and prevent any misgivings. You just suddenly appeared in the public about three years ago. The Government has looked for a 'Sonic' in the birth records and we've found next to nothing. As you can understand, GUN is very reluctant to help someone who is a complete mystery."

I calmed down a little, but I was still a little angry. "After everything I've done for you people, GUN still doesn't trust me."

He gave me a stiff smile. "I trust you, Sonic. But there are others who don't. I need you to tell me everything you can about you and your relationship with Robotnik. I also need to know what you can about Miles and his father's relationship and how you met him."

I hesitated. Never in my life had I ever divulged my past to anyone...or at least the full story.

The General must have sensed my hesitation. "If you want to keep Miles from returning to his father's house, than I suggest that you cooperate. Please, Sonic. I promise this information will not be divulged outside the most trusted members of GUN." He pulled out a pen and a pad of paper. "Start with your name."

"...Maurice Julian Hedgehog."

For the next hour, the General interrogated me. I'll give him this: he's very thorough. I tried to leave out a few gaps or facts, but he always seemed to catch them. The one thing I didn't divulge was anything that had to do with Angel Island or the Chaos Emeralds. That wasn't my secret to tell.

It was pretty awkward at first, but eventually I fell into a sort of trance. Telling your life story is a really weird thing to do… especially when it has a lot of pain and suffering in it.

At one point, Bernice came into the room with pancakes and eggs. The General asked her to leave almost immediately, thanking her for the breakfast, but saying that this was a private conversation. Can't say I wasn't grateful.

Finally, the General ended the interrogation and put the paper away. "Alright, that's enough. Thank you for trusting me, Sonic."

"Didn't have much of a choice." I mumbled.

"You helped me, now I'll help you." He pulled out a thick manila folder and tossed it on the coffee table. Our breakfast was long since eaten.

I picked up the folder and examined the outside. It was blank. "What's this?"

"This is a solution to many of your problems. You may have wondered why I was questioning instead of one of my assistants, since I am a General. The answer is, I'm not just questioning you, I want to recruit you."

Now I was interested in the conversation. "Meaning…?"

"I want you to come work with GUN."

 _ **WHAT?**_

"You want… a twelve year old orphan to work for the biggest government agency in the whole world?"

"When you put it like that it sounds a little crazy."

"That's because it's crazy!" I stood up and tossed the envelope back on the table. I walked over to the window and stared outside. "How is joining GUN going to solve my problems?"

"Some of your problems. The first of which being your custody issue with Miles." The General grabbed the envelope and joined me at the window. He pulled out the first sheet of paper and held it out to me.

I took it and scanned it while Towers explained, "By joining GUN, we could legally take Miles under your custody. Of course, you wouldn't have any legal jurisdiction over him until you're 18, but we would assign an adult over the both of you. They wouldn't be your parent or official guardian, but they would have the final say in Miles' schooling and care. They would also have some jurisdiction over you, but neither of you would have any legal papers saying they are your 'parent.' In the long scheme of things, you would be his main caretaker."

"Who would this supervisor be?"

"We're thinking someone you know, such as the Roberts or Miss Vanilla. I'm thinking Vanilla would be a better option because she is younger and would be more suited for the job with her background as a nurse. The Roberts could help out of course, but Vanilla would be the best option." The General took the paper from me and handed me a different one.

"Another problem you have is you're legally homeless. We'd remedy this immediately. As you should know by now, this town has a lot of construction going on at the moment. It was very easy to get the house next to Vanilla's for you and Miles to live in. It has been upgraded from its simple cottage design and will be perfect for your needs. All plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical expenses would be covered by GUN, as would insurance payments related to robot attacks."

I glanced down at the numbers. That _was_ a lot of money. Too much. "General Towers, I can't take charity."

"It's not charity. Its benefits from working with GUN. You would be given a food budget that Vanilla would most likely be in charge of until you're older. All expenses related to your plane would also be covered, but I hear that Miles is a little mechanic, so we'll let him install and fix everything, unless more experienced help is needed."

"This still sounds like charity to me. Don't get me wrong, sir, I'm honored and all, but do we seriously need all of this?"

General Towers ignored me. "You would also receive a small paycheck every week. I'm thinking that you get about $50 a week and Miles gets $30. Nothing too crazy, but I think that's enough to cover a teenager's hobbies quite nicely."

"Woah! General, hold up! I can't accept all of this!"

"And of course your schooling would also be covered by GUN. Both of you have never really attended a public school so I don't see why you should now. Besides, Miles is far ahead of his grade and you Sonic," he looked me over, "don't really care about the normal education system. I think a private tutor would be fine."

"General! Hold on!"

He paused and looked me in the eyes. Man, those eyes creeped me out… "Sonic, if you wish to keep Miles and not run from the law on kidnapping charges, than this is the best option for you. However, if you wish to try another way, the only other option would be taking it to court, and I doubt they'll be so generous."

Man, I really wish he hadn't brought that up. But unfortunately he was right… but that didn't mean I had to like it though. "General… I don't know if I'm ready to agree to this. Can I think about it?"

"Of course, Sonic. I will be back tomorrow. Please have an answer ready by then." He handed me the envelope with all of the papers. "Look it over and talk to Miles. Have a good day." And just like that, he was gone.

* * *

Tails POV:

Sonic wasn't in his bed when I woke up in the morning. When I asked Bernice about it, she told me that he was in a private meeting in the living room. I had been pacing outside the door for about thirty minutes when the door opened to reveal a military man. He looked down at me and gave a small smile. "Hello, Miles. Have a good day." He marched out the door without another word.

 _How did he know my name?_

"Sonic!" I called gently, opening the door and peering in. The hedgehog was standing near the window gripping a manila folder. He looked over at me and forced a smile. "Hey, Tails. How are you?"

Something was definitely wrong, but Sonic obviously wasn't ready to talk about it. "I… I need to think, okay? I promise we'll talk tonight." He ruffled my hair then ran out the back door.

For the rest of the day I sat at the window, staring out at the fresh snow, waiting for the hedgehog. Sonic didn't come back until about four in the afternoon. He was soaked from head to toe and shivering slightly. "Have you been sitting there this whole time?"

I nodded and threw him a blanket. "Now can you tell me what's going on?"

Sonic allowed a small smile. "You sure are persistent, aren't you?"

"You know it. What's going on, Sonic?"

He sighed, walking inside and gesturing for me to follow him. We sat down in the living room, Sonic nervously pulling at his ear.

"Sonic…" I asked. Okay, this was getting downright unnerving.

"Here." He slid the manila envelope onto my lap, not saying another word. I opened it, confused.

"What is it?"

"Something that changes everything."

I pulled out a small stack of papers and started to read. To be honest, I didn't understand half of what it was saying. Paperwork and legal documents was something I had always had difficulty reading through. But I understood enough to know most of what was going on.

"GUN wants to recruit you?"

Sonic shifted slightly. " _Us_. GUN wants to recruit _**us**_."

"Okay then… why?" I put the papers down on the coffee table. "I mean, I know you're famous and all and everybody loves you, but why are they approaching you know?"

"Eh… probably couldn't catch me." He smiled. "But there's another reason," he mumbled, his smile fading.

"What?"

Sonic looked down at his hands, "It mostly involves your dad… You see, he's-"

"-trying to take back custody of me." I finished with a growl. Was I surprised? Not really. It sounded like something he would do, that filthy little sewer rat… and I just insulted my own father. _Wonderful._

"Yep. And the courts are actually considering it. But-"

"If you join GUN, they can legally bind my custody to you, right?" A lot of what I just read was starting to make a lot more sense. "But you're hesitant to do that, aren't you?"

Chuckling softly, Sonic replied, "You really are smart, you know that?"

I smiled. "Why are you nervous about it?"

"Well…" the hedgehog rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm kind of a free spirit, and someone trying to tell me what to do and how to do it isn't really my style."

I rolled my eyes, "You didn't read all of the papers, did you?"

"Uh…"

"It doesn't say anything about bossing you around. GUN is just offering resources to us and in return, if they need help, we assist them with things like Robotnik or whatever. We're only kids, and as such, they don't think we're gods or something." I picked up one of the papers. "See?"

Sonic scanned the sheet, "I hate paperwork."

"I'll say 'amen' to that."

We shared another smile. Sonic leaned back, "So what do you think? Should we?"

"The most logical answer is yes."

The hedgehog raised an eyebrow, "You sure about this?"

I shrugged, "No, but we don't really have a better option."

"Well," Sonic stood up and held out his hand, "looks like GUN has a couple of new agents."

"Consultants. Until we're of age." I smiled.

Sonic rolled his eyes, "Consultants, agents, same difference! I'm hungry. Wonder what Bernice is cooking?"

"Not chili dogs."

"Dang it!"

* * *

Narrator's POV:

 _ **Suggested song: When Can I See You Again?- Owl City**_

It was 9 months after Sonic and Tails first ran into each other on that stormy night. _The Tornado_ had finally been repaired and Sonic had insisted that the two go on a flight. Very reluctantly, Tails was pulled away from his gadgets (GUN had built a small machine shop separate from the house in the backyard for the inventive young fox. Sonic wasn't sure if it was a good idea now… all those random explosions made him uneasy).

But once the two were in the air, Tails enjoyed himself by showing Sonic all of the new tricks he had learned with the biplane. Several times, Sonic had to yell at the fox to take it easy on the loop-de-loops and spins, almost falling off. Tails would then tell him that if he didn't want to fall, than he needed to get in the cockpit. But of course, Sonic didn't listen.

The two of them flew all over the country, over mountains, valleys, rivers, oceans, even some giant chunks of ice. Neither really had any clue where they were going, but both enjoyed the ride. Throughout the flight, Sonic couldn't help but wave at the many people below.

When they first took off, Cream the Rabbit had been picking flowers in her backyard. She waved at them, Cheese 'chaoing' happily with a small yellow flower in their hands. Sonic waved back, smiling at the little girl he had become so fond of over these past months. Tails also waved back and called out, "Bye Cream!"

About 45 minutes later, when flying over a very wealthy looking town, with spacious white mansions dotting the main streets, Sonic caught sight of a very familiar pink hedgehog sitting on the porch of one of the said mansions. She had on a white blouse and uniform skirt, indicating she had probably just got home from school. "Hey, Tails! Fly a little lower!"

At the sound of the incoming biplane, Amelia Rosalina looked up, a little confused. _'Now who in Chaos would fly a plane this low around here? There's not any airports around.'_ But when she saw who it was, she smiled and watched Sonic and Tails for a moment, recalling the condition both of them were in. "Someone's feeling a lot better." Quickly, she grabbed her skateboard and took off after the plane, skating down the white slate driveway all the way to the tall metal gates that wrapped around the perimeter of the house.

Up in the air, Sonic smiled on the wing of the plane and watched the hedgehog take off after them on a skateboard. Imagine his surprise when she came to a park bench, leaned down, grabbed the board and did a front flip over it, landed perfectly on the sidewalk and kept going on the skateboard. "Woah!"

"What's wrong Sonic?" Tails looked down a little confused. "Is that girl stalking you or something?"

"No, no, I just- Never mind." The hedgehog smiled at his brother.

Amy fell behind pretty quickly. Finally, she skidded to a stop, kicking up her board into her hand and swinging it behind her back. She raised her hand in a gesture of farewell.

Sonic saluted back at her, smirking slightly. _Nice seeing you, Amy. Hope we run into each other again._

"Do you know her?" Tails interrupted Sonic's thoughts. He had watched the whole exchange very confused.

Sonic gave a shrug. "We may have run into each other a little while back."

"Oh… You like her, don't you?"

"What? No!" said Sonic, appalled.

"You totally like her."

"I do not!"

"Right…"

"Quiet, you."

Soon Amy and the white mansion were mere specks in the distance. The pink hedgehog didn't move after they vanished for a moment, but continued staring at the sky. Her thoughts were interrupted by a shriek, "AMELIA! WHERE IN MOBIUS ARE YOU? YOU'D BETTER NOT BE SKATEBOARDING AGAIN, YOUNG LADY!"

Amy whirled around and skated to the back fence of the mansion. She shoved open the gate and stashed her skateboard into a nearby bush. A nearby uniformed maid smiled at the sight.

"Please don't tell my mother, Suzy." Amy called as she skipped up the stairs.

Suzy made the motion of zipping her lips, then returned to dusting the porch swing, chuckling at the young girl's actions.

A few miles away, Sonic motioned for Tails to turn right. "Hold up, I want to see something…"

The fox obliged and an hour later the two were flying over the ocean. "I thought you don't like water."

"I don't."

"Then why are we here?"

Sonic squinted around. "I'm trying to see something… too bad it's so cloudy."

"What are you talking about?" Tails turned around. "See what? It's open ocean!"

"Just fly a little bit higher."

The fox wanted to voice it was a waste of time, but decided just to humor the hedgehog. Soon, there was a layer of clouds between them and the ocean. After about a half an hour, Tails finally turned the plane around. "Sonic, I'm running out of gas out here."

"We still have half a tank left!"

"And we're going to need that fuel to get home! I refuse to go any further."

"Alright! Alright!" Sonic threw his hands in the air. He walked around to the tail of the plane faced away from the fox. A strong wind blew by, making the hedgehog feel a slight tingle down his spine. The wind created a hole in the clouds for just a brief moment. Sonic almost fell off the plane in shock.

Knuckles the Echidna stood on a cliff, right where the wind blow away, arms crossed and wearing a grumpy expression. His eyes narrowed at the hedgehog, his message clear: _"Don't ever show your face here again."_ The clouds closed up again, making the echidna disappear.

The tingling feeling faded a few seconds later. Sonic smirked and waved at the now-invisible echidna. " _I'm going to take a wild guess and say he's using the Master Emerald to cover the island with clouds. But I have a feeling he can still see me. Good ol' Knucklehead."_ The hedgehog turned around and headed back to Tails.

"What were you doing back there?"

"Just thinking. Let's go home."

With that, the brothers flew off into the setting sun, chattering happily.

Even if it was only for a moment, all was well with the world.

Sonic's POV:

 _ **Suggested Song: (1st verse through 2nd chorus) Help is on the Way- Rise Against**_

 _People often ask me why I fight. I usually just smirk or make a joke and change the subject because it brings back too many painful memories._

 _Why do I fight? It's to make sure no one has to go through what I did. To make sure Robotnik doesn't have an easy time ripping apart and destroying families like he did with mine. It's to help people, like my father did. No one will fully know about the horrors I've seen, but that's okay. I think I'd rather focus on helping others with their problems._

 _True, a lot of good's come out of all the pain. I've had the chance to meet Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Vanilla, and a lot of other people I've learned to call my friends. But it's still not the same. I still miss my family every single day of my life, and that alone drives me to try and do better than I did yesterday._

 _Tails needs a home, and I'm going to do my best to give him it. It's not perfect, but it's probably the best thing he's ever had. I know it's the best thing I've had since my blood family left me forever. He's my little brother now, and I refuse to lose my family ever again._

 _My family was shattered to pieces, broken beyond repair. When they left me, I felt like the hole that they previously had in my heart would never heal. Yet I've managed to find a new family,_ _ **Miles from Home.**_

 ***blows nose* I'm sorry, but I am so sad that we're ending this story! *daps eyes* Ugh! The only good thing about this ending is that I get to start another story. Yay!**

 **I would like to encourage all of you readers who don't leave reviews every chapter (and there is nothing wrong with that. I don't do it usually) to just leave a final review over the whole story or PM me your thoughts. I'd like to see what you all thought as a whole. Thank you.**

 **BUT WAIT: We have one more chapter. It's a sneak peak of the sequel, however I will not be posting the actual sequel until after Shattered Thorns is completed. Sorry, but my co-writer and I still have to work out a lot of plot holes (nothing major just stuff like: what is the rising action, climax, resolution, etc. You know, nothing to crazy… XD)**

 **So expect an alert for this story in a week or two (or three). My school year is almost finished up which means summer which hopefully means LOTS OF TYPING. I love typing! But it also means finals so don't kill me if the update isn't for a little while. Lot's of homework…**

 **Hope to see y'all next story! (I'll post a link to 'Shattered Thorns' with the next update.. Please check it out! It's basically one of my personal theories. This one focuses on Amy Rose.)**


	30. I Won't be Home for Christmas

**Hey y'all. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the final chapter and thank everyone for their reviews. I'm so glad you all enjoyed it, but I'm not going to do any comments, just because there were quite a few of them (and this is a really long chapter). Thanks for all the praise and you time reviewing.**

 **So here is the long awaited (well at least for Halo and I) preview chapter of,** _ **'The Long Road Home.'**_ **This chapter will actually not be posted with the actual story, but will be setting up a little of the story line and give y'all a place to start from.**

 **The first part takes place about the same time as the last few chapters of** _ **'Miles from Home'**_ **, during the two weeks before Christmas. Yes, I know it's nowhere near Christmas time, but I'm not going to wait seven months to post this. (;**

 **It is set in a southern village, which is a very small town that is very untrusting to outsiders and don't get a lot of news from the outside. There's a local store, a school, and a few small businesses. Our main characters live in a Junkyard just outside of town.**

 **The second part of the chapter is set in Westopolis. No I'm not kidding, don't kill me. Relax, there are no aliens attacking. Big city, lots of people, has lots of contact with the outside world. Our main character here is a beggar on the street.**

 **This whole chapter is Narrator's POV. I think that's enough background… Hope you enjoy!**

 _ **Suggested Song: Eyes Open- Taylor Swift**_

" _Maurice!"_

" _Run!"_

" _But what about-?"_

" _Just run! Go!"_

 _Sonia grabbed her brother and yanked him along through the forest, leaving the smoking crater that came from the lasers only narrowly missed the two six-year-olds running for their lives._

 _But all the while Manic continued to struggle, "We can't leave Maurice! We have to find him, Sonia!" he cried. Sonia tightened her grip and dragged him along, fighting back her own tears. Behind the two, the piercing sound of laser shots echoed through the forest as the killers drew closer and closer…_

* * *

"Sofia! Sofia, wake up!"

The 12-year-old hedgehog jolted awake. Her alarm clock read 7:03. She stretched and yawned, "I'm up, Uncle."

"You're going to be late for school." The banging on the door ceased and his footsteps faded downstairs.

Sofia climbed out of bed and grabbed her clothes for the day, long purple pants, white t-shirt, and a thin purple belt over the shirt. As she laced up her purple and white boots she caught a look of herself in the mirror.

Her dark purple eyes stared back at her, full of carefully concealed sorrow and disappointment. Her scruffy pink hair was cut short, her bangs brushed in front of her face and the rest of pulled into a simple pigtail in the of her head.

As she smoothed her hair slightly, Sofia looked over at the empty bed across the room. Its red sheets and black comforter were straightened and made. On the pillow sat a simple piece of paper folded in quarters. Sofia walked over to the bed and picked it up, scanning it for what must've been the hundredth time.

"Sofia!"

She pocketed the note and ran down the stairs. "Sorry, got distracted."

Her Uncle motioned for her to be quiet, as he had just picked up the phone. Sofia began to make her breakfast as he continued to talk.

"I'm sorry, my niece just came in. Could you repeat that? … So I don't need to come up there. … Alright, alright, I understand. It's a shame though. I could have used that scrap metal. … Oh well, I understand. Enjoy that biplane. Have a good day, Mrs. Roberts." He hung up and looked over at his niece, the frown lines etched beneath his eyes especially prominent.

Sofia chose to ignore him and grabbed a glass. As she poured herself some orange juice, a sharp pain suddenly shot through the back of her eyes and forehead. She grunted, stifling a moan of pain, and put the jug down, grabbing her head.

* * *

" _Uncle Chuck! Uncle Chuck!" Sonia and Manic yelled as soon as they caught sight of the small log cabin. The two felt as if they were going to drop to the ground and die from exhaustion what with all the running._

 _The light blue hedgehog poked his head out of the door, a confused smile on his face. In seconds it faded as soon as he saw the laser-shooting robots. He let out a strangled sort of yelp and shouted at the two kids to get inside._

 _As soon as Sonia and Manic were in the building he slammed the door shut. "Where's Maurice?"_

" _He's still out there!" Manic had this frantic look in his eyes. Just imagining what Maurice was going through at that moment made the boy panic. "We have to go find him! Please, Uncle Chuck! We need to find Maurice! They could hurt him!"_

 _Uncle Chuck peeked out the curtains as the robots surrounded the cabin, dozens of them swarming in every second. "We'll worry about him in due time, sonny. Right now, we need to worry about us."_

* * *

"Sofia!"

The girl grunted again as her eyes snapped open. She stumbled back slightly, but managed to regain her footing.

"You had another episode just now, didn't you? You know how I feel about those." her Uncle scolded, the disapproving scowl evident on his face.

Sofia rolled her eyes, "Do you really think I can control my visions?" she growled in frustration, her voice low and quiet. Uncle Charlie narrowed his eyes at the pink hedgehog and she fell silent.

The two ate breakfast without another word. When Sofia finished, she set her dishes in the sink and pulled on her snow jacket, then her backpack. She nodded a polite farewell to her Uncle, who simply grunted in return, his nose buried in the day's paper.

With a dejected sigh, she pushed open the ratty screen door and walked out onto the snowy junkyard. As she made her way out, strands of flickering Christmas lights were wrapped around the few lamp posts that were present. Piles of rusted and broken down cars, tin cans, random assorted junk, and pretty much anything you can think of was spread throughout the yard. The 'house' itself looked as though it had seen better days. Its roof was sagging in some places and its windows were fogged up, barely letting any of the natural lighting in. A tall chain link fence wrapped around the junkyard, with barbed wire on top and a padlocked gate to keep out potential junk thieves. When Sofia reached the other side of the yard, she stared up at the dull glowing sign: _Chuck the Junk._ Pretty lame name, if you asked her.

With Christmas just a few weeks away, the main street was pretty packed, so no one minded the young pink hedgehog as she trudged to school. With each step she kept one thought echoing through her mind; _One more day, one more day, one more day…_

It was the last day before Winter Break started. She just needed to survive one more day and then she'd get a nice long break from school… her Uncle, not so much, but at least it was a break from at least one unpleasant thing.

Quickly, she rushed up to the old red brick school building. Just like the rest of the town, it was run down and out of date with little communication to the outside world. That had been the main reason her Uncle had moved her brother and her to this town…

The clanging of the school bell snapped her out of her thoughts and she ran to get to class on time. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. One of the boys playing on the schoolyard had seen her running toward the front doors and shut them, locking automatically. It took three minutes for a teacher to walk by and let her in.

Sofia walked into her classroom, head down. Her classmates stared and snickered to each other, and her aged fox teacher grimaced, displeased with her tardiness

"That's the third time this week, Sofia. If you keep this up, I'll have to write another note home." Mrs. Bore (yes that was her actual name) scolded. The woman either didn't notice or didn't care about the snickers and whispering that started as the pink hedgehog made her way to her seat next to the window.

The girl chose to ignore them and sat down at her desk. It was going to be a long day.

Mrs. Bore called for everyone to take out their math textbooks and turned to the blackboard, chalk in hand. She began scratching down what looked like a very complicated, very boring math equation.

Math always killed her. Sofia couldn't help it. It was so boring and with nothing to do, her mind started to wander.

"A squared number plus the square root of thirteen times X to the tenth power…" her teacher droned on and on in a monotone voice that would make the most energetic students die of boredom. So it was with little surprise as Sofia was trying to finish the problem that the pain returned behind her eyes. She managed to bite back the gasp and closed her eyes immersed in the memory.

* * *

 _Uncle Chuck whirled around from the window and rushed over to the table in the corner. He yanked it away and opened the trapdoor hidden beneath. "Alright kids! In the cellar! Hurry!"_

 _Sonia immediately climbed down the ladder, but Manic hesitated. Unfortunately, Uncle Chuck wasn't in the mood to negotiate. He picked up the kid and threw him over his shoulder, then climbed down the ladder._

 _The three hedgehogs just barely took cover in a corner when a large explosion rang in their ears. Large chunks of rubble fell down the open trapdoor, dust swirling around, clouding their vision and making them cough. When a burning piece of wood came especially close, Sonia let out a small cry that was immediately cut off by Uncle Chuck's hand._

" _Shh… We need to be really, really quiet right now." whispered Chuck gently. "Can you do that for me?" Sonia nodded, and Manic held in the coughs that were threatening to burst from his lungs._

 _The three sat there for several minutes, even after all had fell silent. Finally, Uncle Chuck got up and started to move a bunch of wood in a pile on the far wall._

" _Uncle Chuck, what are you doing?" Sonia inquired softly._

" _Shh..."_

 _The older hedgehog pushed over the last of the wood, revealing a large hole big enough for a grown man to crawl through. "Come on."_

" _How long have you had that?" Manic looked back at the ladder. "Uncle Chuck, we can't leave without Maurice, we have to find him.."_

" _And I promise I will look for him, but I need to get you two to safety. As for the hole, it's something I found when I was digging this cellar several years ago. May have been a burrow, or something at some point. It leads to the caves near the lakeside. Do you remember those?"_

 _The two younglings nodded. They had played in them often with Maurice._

" _Come on! We've gotta get out of here, and fast!" He shooed the children into the hole._

 _Sonia took Manic's hand and the two dove into the darkness. Uncle Chuck walked over to one of the boxes in the basement and opened it, removing a few photographs and other sentimental trinkets, then he dove into the hole behind the kids. Seconds later the cellar caved in completely, leaving no trace of the hedgehogs' escape._

* * *

A ringing noise snapped Sofia out of her trance. It was lunch time. She stood up and walked to the cafeteria, her eyes on the floor. After buying a simple salad for lunch, she sat down at an empty table and began to eat. A large thump alerted her that she was no longer alone.

"Hello, Bobby," she mumbled without even looking up from her plate.

The orange fox leaned forward, a few of his friends behind him snickered. He picked up a tomato from the salad and made a show of examining it. "I see you're still into the salad. Why don't you have a hamburger or something?"

The hedgehog continued to eat without answering.

"What's wrong, Sofi? Shy? You know you were a lot more fun when your idiot brother, Matthews was around. More active, less picky."

Sofia took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "He's not an idiot."

Bobby and his friends laughed. "Then why'd he run away? Seems like a pretty idiotic thing to do. Especially when ya're only ten years old. How long 'as it been now… about two years?"

Sofia slouched down further, wishing she could melt into the ground.

"He must be dead by now. I sure hope so. He's just like you, ya' know, nothing but a stupid, worthless little freak who will never make any friends. But hey, maybe he had the right idea, running away from that crack uncle of yers. Why don't you do the same? No one's gonna miss ya' if ya' leave town and never come back."

Interrupting Buddy's prodding, Sofia suddenly stood up and ran away from the table, holding back tears.

However, Buddy couldn't help and throw one last sally. "Yeah, run ya' little freak! That's all you and your loser family ever do!"

Sofia ran into a bathroom and locked herself in a stall. After a few minutes, her stomach protested for food. Sighing softly, the girl knew that her salad would be in the trash if she went back, thrown away by Buddy and his goons.

The rest of the day passed without much incident. A few last minute tests and teachers giving homework for over the break. When the final bell rung, Sofia pretty much sprinted out of the building without looking back.

The wet mud crunched under her boots as she ran as far as she could away from the building. Right, left, right, right, left, right, left, right, left, left, right...any direction to lose the kids chasing her.

Of course no matter how hard she tried, they somehow always managed to find her. This time, they caught up with her in the alley she used to hide in, between the convenience store and the laundromat.

"Well, well, if it isn't the freak."

"Long way from the junk heap."

"Where's your brother now?"

Sofia backed away until her back hit the brick wall. _Well...here we go again._

Bobby, why did it always have to be him, picked up a small rock. "Let's see you dance, shall we?"

Now usually, Sofia loved dancing. But this kind of dancing involved avoiding sharp rock aimed at her head. Most kids would have panicked. Sofia didn't. Instead, she did something very strange.

Taking deep breaths she crouched down slightly. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the picture, then closed her eyes. A few of the kids grew a little nervous, but still grabbed a stone to throw.

Bobby raised a stone. "On three. One…" All of the bullies (and there was about a dozen of them) raised their projectiles, "Two…" Sofia opened her eyes and looked up, "Three!"

And then Chaos ensued. All the projectiles were thrown as hard as possible in the same general direction. However, the hedgehog seemed to be one step ahead of them, jumping up about a foot and then flipping backwards in midair. She landed on a nearby trash can and used her built up energy in her legs, running across the wall about three steps, then pushing off in yet another flip. The rocks continued to fly, narrowly missing her, but not a single one managed to even graze the hedgehog. Sofia landed on a closed dumpster lid, then jumped up, grabbing a fire escape ladder just barely in reach. She pulled herself up and started to run up the stairs, the kids yelling insults and abuse at the now out-of-range girl.

When she finally got to the roof, her breathing eased up slightly and she straightened up. A few more deep breaths calmed her racing heart.

Suddenly, she twisted around and kicked, shattering the glass pop bottle that one of the kids had aimed at her head.

"Freak!"

Sofia turned and ran.

If anyone ever asked her how she did it, she wouldn't have been able to answer. Ever since _that night,_ she had begun to have these visions and impressions. At first she only thought they were dreams and common intuition, but then they started to come true. Some of the dreams seemed to be echoing from the past, haunting her every step. Others were taking place at that exact time and place. And then there were those that seemed to come from a distant future. Her flashes of inspiration or instinct were sharp and scarily precise, knowing when to duck and when to jump to avoid punches or a well-aimed rock.

Of course, her Uncle was just as scared about her 'powers' as the kids. They didn't know exactly what was up with her, but they did know one thing: No matter how many times they tried, how many people they brought, or how they did it they couldn't touch her. They punched, kicked, even threw things at her. Not one of them had ever landed a blow. True, they had had some very close scrapes, but that hardly mattered in the long run.

But she couldn't blame them half the time. Sometimes she considered herself a freak. The only person who ever tried to help her was her brother, Matthews. But when he ran away... he left her all alone.

All of these thoughts were turning through Sofia's mind as she wandered back into the junkyard and the old house. Her uncle was sitting at the counter reading a newspaper, "How was school?"

"Just like every other day."

"Good."

He didn't notice the glare the girl gave him.

Sofia sighed, "What's for dinner?" _Let me guess, canned meat and beans. Again._

"Canned meat and beans."

"I'll take the beans, you can have the meat."

"Sofia, you need to have some sort of meat in your diet to keep healthy."

"I'm good." Sofia went to her room without another word. Ever since Matthews left, the two didn't speak to each other that much. She dropped her backpack next to her bed and looked over at what used to be her brother's bed. Her eyes started to hurt again and she dropped to the ground, moaning.

* * *

 _Sonia and Manic sat in the cave, waiting for their uncle to return. It was three days after the attack, and Uncle Chuck had finally set out to look for Maurice. He was only gone for about two hours when he returned, once again empty handed._

" _Did you check the forest?" Manic asked._

 _Chuck groaned, "For the millionth time Manic, yes! He's not there!"_

 _Sonia was crying softly in a corner, as she had been for the past three days._

" _You should have left sooner! We could have found him!"_

" _I was trying to make sure it was safe."_

" _Keep looking!" Manic kicked a rock as hard as he could, sending it ricocheting all over. "He's still alive! Maurice can't be-" his voice broke for a second, then he composed himself, unable to bring himself to say the unthinkable word. In the past three days, Manic had grown up a lot. Much more than a six year old should._

 _Uncle Chuck lost his temper, "He's gone Manic! I can't find him! I'm sorry!"_

" _No you're not! You… you just haven't looked hard enough!"_

" _MANIC!" the hedgehog grabbed his nephew roughly and shook him with each word. "He's dead! They. Are. Dead! SNAP OUT OF IT!" The once cheerful and laid back man threw the young boy roughly to the ground._

 _Sonia's sobs grew louder._

" _HE'S NOT DEAD!" Manic had already cried over his parents. His uncle had already buried their bodies and Manic had seen the graves. But without any body, Manic refused to believe his brother was gone._

" _MAURICE IS DEAD!"_

" _NO HE'S NOT!"_

" _STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!" Sonia screamed. She dropped to the ground and covered her ears, sobbing hysterically. Manic ran over to comfort her while Uncle Chuck ran his fingers through his quills._

 _It was silent for a few moments, then Chuck sighed, "Come on. We need to leave."_

" _But this is our home!" Manic protested, glaring at his Uncle._

" _Not anymore." Chuck walked out of the cave, leaving the two children in tears._

* * *

Her uncle's call for dinner woke her up...again. Sofia dried her eyes and ran downstairs. Dinner itself was quiet. Uncle Charlie politely asked about her grades and what she planned to do with her winter vacation. Her answers were short and simple. Finally, he put down his fork.

"Alright, what's eating you?"

Sofia pushed her meat around, refusing to eat it. "I'm just... worried... about Matthews." Each word was painful to say, especially the last one.

The mood immediately darkened at the table. "Oh."

"Don't sound so surprised."

"We're not discussing this."

Sofia pushed her plate away and leaned forward. "Why not? You hardly looked for him and didn't even call the police until two days after he ran off."

"I'm not going to create a bunch of legal drama because your brother is an attention-seeking delinquent."

"He is not a delinquent."

Uncle Charlie narrowed his eyes. "How many times was I called because he pickpocketed some kid at school or he was in detention?"

"He gave the stuff back."

"It's still stealing, Sofia!"

Sofia crossed her arms, "I just… I just wish you had tried harder to make him stay."

"I did try! I couldn't force him to stick around!"

She raised an eyebrow, "Because yelling and telling him what a pest he is makes him want to stay?"

One glare and Sofia fell silent. "The kid skipped school for the fifth time that month. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Maybe figure out why he was skipping…" she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Sofia…" he threatened.

The girl threw her hands in the air, "Why do you call me that? We're alone! No one is going to hear us if you use my real name."

"Because I may slip up in public, and if I do, then people will start to talk."

"I still don't understand why we had to change our names…"

Uncle Charlie sighed, "I already told you this. We don't know what that man knew about us."

"And he thinks we're dead!"

"And if he finds out that we're not, then he _will_ come after us. Better safe than sorry." He narrowed his eyes. "Now let's drop this discussion and move on. What do you want for Christmas?"

The girl didn't answer for a moment. "I want Manic to come home…" she got up and ran up the stairs.

"Sofia! Sof- Sonia! Come back here!" Uncle Charlie sighed and put his head in his hands. "Oh Julian," he looked over at the family picture hanging on the wall. His brother and wife were standing with their three children in front of them, Uncle Chuck off to the side.

Upstairs, Sonia wiped away the tears She looked over at the bed again and pulled out the slip of paper that she had put in her pocket that morning. Once again, she read it:

 _Sonia_

 _I cant take this no more. Uncle Chuck HATES ME, and I hate him. Im leaving. I dont know where. Please dont look for me. Im sorry. I love you._

 _Manic_

 _P.S.- I.O.U. ten dollers._

She smiled slightly at that last part. Manic had broken open her piggy bank and taken ten dollars the night he left, probably for a bus fare.

Her smile faded as she fingered the half of the picture that was with the note. Next to Manic's bed had been a beaten up polaroid photo of him, Sonia and Uncle Chuck. When he had left, he had torn the picture down the middle, leaving Uncle Chuck and part of Sonia behind.

Even though the sun had just started to go down, Sonia climbed into bed. She stared at the picture next to her bed. It was a little blurry, but clear enough. The photo was of Maurice, Manic, and Sonia playing out in the backyard. Gently, Sonia picked up the frame and traced Maurice's form. She looked out the window as a soft snow began to fall.

"I promise Maurice… I'll find him again."

Without another word, she put the photo down and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

 _ **Suggested Song: This is Life Without You- Stanfour**_

*2 years earlier*

"A couple of quarters for Christmas, sir?"

The man in the business suit dropped a dime in the plastic cup of the little beggar, moving on without a word.

The ragged boy tightened the strings on his black hoodie. Most passersby never paid the green hedgehog any attention, but simply avoided him. In Westopolis, most homeless boys were nothing more than petty thieves. It was no different with this beggar.

Matthews glanced down at the ten dollar bill he had managed to pickpocket out of the man's pocket when he had reached out to drop the ring in. He felt a twinge guilty about stealing, but he already knew that it was impossible to earn enough for food without a little extra. Who knew his knack for stealing kids blind as a party trick would come in so handy?

Somewhere near by a clock chimed, alerting anyone who could hear above the busy traffic that it was now nine p.m. Matthews stood up and brushed off the small layer of snow that had fallen on him for the past hour. He watched the oncoming storm of people for a few moments, then slipped into the crowded sidewalks.

When he had first got to the city, Matthews had been almost trampled to death when he first stepped out on the street. It took him almost a whole month to get the courage to do it again, now only traveling by alleyways and rooftops.

He shivered; he wasn't used to snow. Down south, it could get pretty chilly in the winter, but never enough for snow. It was like cold, wet, nasty dirt, and he hated it more and more every second he sat outside, which was all the time nowadays.

Matthews rubbed his stiff hands together and blew in them, trying in vain to get warm. Chaos, he was hungry. But learning to deal with the hunger pains was one of the many skills he had been forced to develop since coming here.

He remembered seeing a soup kitchen over on Charmy Street. Matthews knew that going there would be a serious blow to his pride, but he hadn't had a decent meal in months; He was long past desperate.

He grunted as he picked up speed, tightening his knapsack on his back and shoving his hands into his front hoodie pockets. He stalked down the street, weaving through the thick crowds of busy Christmas shoppers. In the hubbub of the moment, Matthews managed to snag three wallets and a flimsy-looking necklace. Altogether, the cash in the wallets only added up to about thirty-two dollars, but he'd take what he could get.

It didn't take him long to get to the soup kitchen. He was about to walk in, but hesitated; through the ice-laced window he could see the soup line and the tables packed with dejected men, women, and children, some of which looked like whole families. It gave off an air of permanent hopelessness, cynical and downhearted. For a moment, he considered just walking away and pretending that he couldn't possibly be one of those starving bums.

But his stomach wouldn't let him forget the 'starving' part.

Matthews opened the kitchen's door, hearing the chime of the welcome bell above him. All at once a wave of warmth swept over him, like stepping into a warm bath. He caught scent of the smell of potato soup, his stomach rumbling greedily.

"Alright, I get it, you want food. Gimme a break, I'm doing the best I can." Matthews snarled at his belly. He stepped into line behind a crowd of rattily dressed tramps and, noticing how far back he was, decided to employ one of his best line-cutting tricks. He reached into his knapsack and pulled out a handful of marbles he had won off a seven year old the other day. Casually, he dropped them onto the ground and smiled at the caused confusion. He shifted slyly in front of one distracted woman, grabbing a plastic tray.

After being served a bowl of potato soup, a cookie, and a steaming mug of hot chocolate, he sat himself down at a relatively empty table, careful to make sure his hood covered his face. He slurped down the soup and looked around, staring at the gloomy mass of people.

 _Let's see, who do we have here?_ Matthews thought, bored, looking at each person in turn. _There's an addict in that corner… a girl who lost her mom in a car crash… a family evicted from their house last month… boy, this place sure is a barrel of laughs._

Since that horrible night that his life was ripped apart, Matthews discovered he could 'read' people as he liked to call it. One look and he suddenly knew their likes, dislikes, and basically whatever they were thinking of at the time. Names and precise details were harder, but since he had left home, it had been getting steadily easier to know recent memories of a person, their habits, what made them tick, what won them over. He'd be lying if he said that never used that to his advantage. But he'd also be lying if he said he enjoyed this power. Sometimes he wished it just would turn off. It hadn't had been this strong before, but after an encounter with a red echidna it had been steadily growing.

He nibbled on his cookie slowly, savoring the flavor. It was dry and crumbly and the frosting stuck to the roof of his mouth, but it was the best thing he had tasted in months. He pocketed half of it, knowing that he'd get hungry again later. He wished that he could do the same with the hot chocolate, but he had already guzzled that down.

Too soon, he was finished, and got up to leave. Although the soup and hot chocolate had filled his stomach, a faint sense of emptiness still lingered. He slung his knapsack over his back tightened his hoodie strings. Maybe if he was lucky he could snag a cardboard box to sleep in tonight… or maybe he could see if he could sneak into that one mattress store he passed by… his thought were interrupted, however, when he bumped into a much larger boy.

"Whoops. Sorry, man." said Matthews.

"S'okay, you're cool." The boy was an auburn fox wearing a backwards baseball cap and a black quilted jacket. A showy gold chain hung around his neck, his hands were jammed into his jacket pockets. His eyes were dark brown, cheerful but serious.

Matthews stared at him a moment, not sure at first what to make of him. It was obvious that he had a good heart, but still, something felt… off. Untrustworthy in some way.

 _Well, let's see… can't get a name… he lives with his mom and older sister… isn't rich, but sure isn't starving on the streets... lots of loyal friends… definitely gets into his share of trouble…_ All at once, Matthews saw it; those loyal friends (their exact features were still pretty fuzzy) weren't just friends. They were a gang, something Matthews was familiar with in all the wrong ways.

The fox was also examining him. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed to have found it. "Hey kid, can I talk to you?"

"...No. No, you can't." Matthews turned around and started to walk away from the gang member. He didn't want or need any more drama in his life, especially the kind that could end up with him dead. Matthews pushed past the fox and past his way back into the chilling cold of the outside.

At first, the fox just stood there, a little confused. _Eh, must be a coincidence._ He picked up the pace and followed the hedgehog. "I'm not gonna hurt ya, kid. Just wanna talk."

"I said no." Matthews said stiffly, walking a little faster. "St-stay away from me." He had meant to sound intimidating, but had accidentally let his voice crack. He couldn't help it, this kid was freaking him out. _What in Chaos does he want?_

But the boy was faster and easily caught up with him, stepping in front and blocking him from leaving. "Woah, kid! Take it easy! I promise, I won't hurt ya, I just wanna congratulate you."

 _What's he playing at?_ This was too weird. But all the same, Matthews could tell that he really wasn't going to hurt him; he just wasn't that kind of guy. "Congratulations on what?" he asked tentatively.

"On your little trick back there. I never woulda thought of using marbles as a distraction. That was pretty slick."

 _So_ _ **that's**_ _what this is all about._ "Um… Thanks, I guess? Is that all? Can I go now?" Matthews still didn't trust him.

"Hey, hold your horses, I said I wouldn't hurt ya."

"Well, I'm sorry if I don't trust _gang members_." Matthews coldly replied, bumping into him on his way past. A cold, wet snowflake dropped on his nose.

"Woah, woah, hold up- how… how d'ya know that?" the fox asked, alarmed.

Matthews froze in his tracks. _Chaos, I'm an idiot. You slipped up again. Remember what happened to the last guy? Think of something, Manic…_ "It's… obvious, ain't it? He replied slowly. "You have a gun on you, and sort of have that, 'don't mess with me' vibe."

"I guess you're right, kid." The fox scratched behind his ear and smirked. "Well, this makes things a lot easier," he held out his hand, "Would you be interested in a job?"

"No. I'm not joining anything you have to offer." Matthews turned away and began to walk down the street. He turned a corner and disappeared out of the fox's sight. After a few moments, he pulled out the fox's wallet, handgun, and switchblade. He pulled out the money in the wallet (about 50 bucks) and pocketed the blade. The gun he threw in the nearest dumpster. "I hate guns…" Matthews looked down at the ID in the wallet. _Curtis Shepard_ , _fifteen_. _Uh… What kind of last name is Shepard?"_ Matthews smiled, _Does he heard sheep and carry around a crook when he's in gang fights?_ He chuckled to himself. _Whatever. The dude's cash will take me a long way._

"Hey! You! Kid!"

 _Or maybe not._ Matthews took off running as fast as he could, ducking into an alleyway and hiding behind a smelly metal dumpster, his heart pounding wildly. He had never been caught stealing before, and he shuddered to think of how angry he must've made this kid. Oh Chaos, what if he tried to beat him up or… worse. He was only ten, doggone it! He couldn't get himself killed; he had the rest of his life in front of him!

Curtis's footsteps slowed near the dumpster, and Matthews held his breath. Oh Chaos, oh Chaos, oh sweet Chaos… After about a minute's worth of total silence, though, Matthews deemed it safe enough to change hiding spots and stood up slowly.

That was a mistake.

An unexpectedly strong hand snagged the scruff of his hoodie roughly, lifting him into the air. His face was inches away from Curtis's, the fox's brown eyes narrowed.

"Aw, please man, don't kill me! I'm too young to die, I ain't even voted yet! I'll give it all back, I swear!" groveled Matthews, struggling to free himself from Curtis's iron grip. This was it. No way out.

"Relax punk, I won't hurt you. On two conditions, that is."

"Anything, just lemme go!"

Curtis dropped Matthews on the icy asphalt. Immediately, he scrambled to his feet and would've sprinted away if he hadn't tripped over an old tin can, giving Curtis another chance to grab him by his hood this time.

"Two conditions, kid."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, sure, whatever you say, man." cowered Matthews, holding his hands up in front of his face.

"One, give me back my stuff." Curtis held out his hands.

A little reluctantly, Matthews pulled out the money, wallet, and knife. "I threw away your gun."

"WHAT?" Curtis shoved the items in his pockets. "Where?"

Matthews pointed down the street. The fox turned around and ran.

Slowly, the hedgehog counted to ten, then started to saunter down the abandoned road in the opposite direction.

"Hey, wait kid!"

 _Dang it_ … Matthews stopped and turned; Curtis was tearing back to the alleyway. Matthews knew it wouldn't do any good to try and run away again, this kid was too fast.

"Alright, what do you want?" Matthews asked, less scared now and more impatient. The sooner he was on his own again, the better. He didn't need any more trouble in his life, thank you.

Curtis sat down with his back pressed against the dumpster and motioned for Matthews to do the same. But he only shook his head.

"What's wrong?" asked Curtis.

"I'm not going near you with that gun."

"Oh- this?" said Curtis, pulling out his handgun from inside his jacket. Instinctively, Matthews shrunk away.

"Easy kid, If I told you once I told you a million times, I ain't gonna hurt ya. I'm actually pretty impressed that you had the nerve to pickpocket me." The fox put away his gun. "Now, I said I had two conditions. The second one is that you tell where you learned all this. I mean, I was halfway down the street before I realized that my wallet and gun were missing. That's a skill, my friend."

"We're not friends, and I've always been good at slipping things from other people. It's sort of a hobby of mine. Used to do it as a trick." Matthews shrugged. "Nothing special."

"Alright kid, hear me out." Curtis shoved his hands in his pockets, "I want you to at least hear out my offer. You've only just scratched the surface of your talent. Pickpocketing is a good way to make some extra cash, but come on; it's pretty obvious that you sleep on the street. Begging isn't a life to look forward to. This is a onetime offer to join my ga- er, exclusive group of friends. We can give you a place to sleep, a roof over your head, and you would never have to go to another soup kitchen. I'll admit, gang life isn't the most honest or safest life in the world-"

"That's like saying jumping off a bridge isn't suicide."

"-but it's a way to get out of this nightmare of a life you got right now."

Hesitantly, Matthews contemplated the offer. There were no really big positives or negatives, and it was something that he had never imagined himself in. Him? In a gang? Well, his uncle already believed him to be nothing more than a delinquent. And it wasn't like he enjoyed sleeping out in the cold and never knowing where his next meal would come from.

"Well kid?"

"I need to think about it."

Curtis smiled, "Smart one, you are. How about I take ya to meet our leader? You can decide there."

Matthews looked at the fox. He certainly seemed trustworthy… and his intuition had never steered him wrong before. "Alright. Why not?"

Curtis grinned and motioned for the kid to follow him.

Half an hour of walking later, the two were standing in front of an old warehouse. Curtis knocked on the door, three short raps then waited for a second and gave another knock. With a grinding noise, the large door slid open.

His mind immediately started going off as soon as he saw all of the people. _Killed two rival gang members, once held up a convenience store, has a very itchy trigger finger..._ the list went on and on. In the center of the room, sitting on some wooden boxes, was a large insect-like guy in a dirty and patched trench coat, probably concealing many items in its many pockets. When he saw Matthews, his eyes seemed to do a double take.

"Curtis! What's with the kid?" he called, more than a little annoyed that he'd have to ask that question.

"Well, see, he kinda-sorta-maybe pickpocketed me, Farrell. Almost got away with it, too. Thought you'd like to take a look at him." Curtis pushed Matthews forward a few paces.

The poor hedgehog was officially freaking out. Why had he agreed to come here of all places? His hands were shaking and he refused to look anywhere but the floor.

A voice, a lot gentler than he was used to suddenly spoke, "Hey kiddo. You alright?"

Matthews looked up at the insect man. His mind did a quick mental scan and was shocked at the reading he got back. He instantly relaxed and his shaking ceased, his gaze fell steady. "Yessir."

The insect let out a laugh, "He called me, sir! Hear that boys? Ain't no one ever called me sir before."

Everyone let out a loud laugh, easing Matthews' mind a little more.

Farrell looked at the kid, "What's your name?"

"Man-" he cut off suddenly and switched names, "Matthews."

The cut off was not missed by anyone in the room. Curtis raised an eyebrow and repeated the question.

"Matthews."

"But you were gonna say something else."

"Well, uh, sometimes the kids back home used to call me, uh... Maniac." Which was the truth ... just not the whole truth.

"Maniac!" Farrell laughed, "I like it! So Matt, what skills do you have?"

"Well... pickpocketing, I can lie pretty good, and… good people reading skills, I guess."

Everyone looked doubtful. Very slowly, Matthews began to make his way around the room, as he continued speaking. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm amazing at it or anything, but I'm pretty good. Robbed your man over there blind."

"But he caught you," a random gang member called out.

"Granted," Matthews smiled and gave a playful punch at Curtis, "But I got about two blocks away before he noticed. I'm pretty good at distractions too, ask anyone."

Farrell was watching the kid closely. Something about his movements seemed a bit off…

The hedgehog gave a small grin and made a huge gesture, "I know how to stay positive under pressure. Perhaps a little too positive sometimes." That comment earned a few chuckles.

One of the few girls looked the kid over a few times, "Well, we're looking for professionals, not a skinny kid off the side of the road."

Shrugging, Matthews pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and looked down. "Who's Tommy?"

The girl's eyes widened and she started patting her pockets. She stopped and glared menacingly at the hedgehog, who only grinned boyishly in reply. "Why you… you bratty little thief!" Immediately everyone started to check their pockets for anything missing.

Five minutes later, the hedgehog returned the three touch phones, four flip phones, two switchblades, three handguns, seven wallets, one hat, and of course Farrell's lucky rabbit's foot. When the hubbub died down, Farrell looked at the kid and leaned forward. "Well now…not bad, kid, not bad at all. How's about we talk business?"

* * *

 _ ***2 years later. Christmas Day.***_

Curtis leaned against a dirty brick wall and glared at his watch. "Maniac…" he sighed, annoyed.

Down the street, a green hedgehog wearing torn jeans and a dark red vest with a fanny pack strapped around his waist was sprinting toward the fox, jumping over a mound of filthy snow.

Curtis rolled his eyes and ducked behind the dumpster. " 'Bout time." He cocked and loaded his gun. _Better safe than sorry._

Matthews, now twelve, saw the movement but didn't acknowledge him. He was sort of busy running from a rival gang's newest recruit. If anyone asked him, Matt would admit that the squirrel was pretty fast. But he wasn't that fast.

As he ran past the dumpster, the hedgehog tossed what he had been carrying in the alley, while making a big show of tripping.

Curtis grabbed the drive and slipped it in his pocket as the squirrel grabbed the hedgehog and rammed him against the wall. "Alright kid. You get one chance. Give it!"

Matthews grinned and spread out his hands, empty. "Oh dear, I do seem to have dropped it. Clumsy me."

The squirrel gave a low, snarling growl. Curtis snuck up behind him and raised his gun to knock out the teenager. Unfortunately, the squirrel must have heard him or something because he suddenly whirled around and punched the fox in the face, knocking him out almost instantly.

Matthews fell to the ground with an 'oof.' A little dazed, the hedgehog rubbed his head slightly and looked up straight into the barrel of Curtis's handgun that the squirrel had picked up.

 _Chaos…_

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot you and your little friend," the teenager growled.

Matthews put his hands up in a show of surrender. "I don't got one. The only one I do have is this," he swung the teen's legs out from under him and scrambled for the fumbled gun.

The squirrel gave a squeal and growl as he dove at the kid. There was one thing he didn't know though…

Matthews punched and kicked the teen until the kid fell unconscious, or at least shut his eyes and quit squirming. He tentatively picked up the gun and slipped it back in Curtis's holster.

Unlike the rest of the gang, Maniac refused to carry a gun, but relied solely on the physical combat skills he had learned over the years. He had been shocked to learn how little his fellow gang members were skilled in hand-to-hand combat. They knew how to do it, duh, but didn't practice it often, usually relying on a gun or a blade. Maniac wasn't above carrying a pocketknife- you'd be crazy not to in this neighborhood- but the only times he had even held a gun were to throw it away.

After Curtis woke up, the two of them made their way back to the headquarters at Farrell's house. Matthews paused outside though, telling Curtis to go on ahead without him. "I just need to think for a minute."

The fox, now a good friend, understood and nodded, leaving the hedgehog alone with his thoughts.

After double checking to make sure he was alone, he pulled out two Polaroid photos. The first was a family picture of his parents and siblings, back when they were truly happy, when everything was simple and fun and carefree. The second was half a photo of Sonia and himself. Their arms were wrapped around the other's shoulders; he was grinning and holding up the peace sign; Sonia was showing off one of her rare but genuine smiles, the joy in her usually serious face prominent. He stared at the picture for a few minutes. Finally, he pocketed the pictures and entered the building, tapping his fingers rapidly against the side of the wall in no particular pattern.

Life had been pretty good these past two years. After that one fateful winter evening, he had been accepted into the gang gradually, each member teaching him something different. All were important, but the man he really owed his survival to was Farrell.

Farrell was both a boss and a mentor. Maniac's job to stay in the gang was simply to steal whatever they told him to steal, and not to get caught; Piece of cake. Mostly, anyway. There had been some pretty close calls, and he had visited the county jail on more than one occasion as a result of his screw-ups. Good thing Farrell had lots of patience with kids.

"Afternoon, Matt." said Farrell as Maniac walked into the small, grimy kitchen and popped open a can of orange soda.

"Hey Farrell," he replied.

"You ready to work on your lessons?"

"You bet!"

"Good." Farrell stood up and walked across the kitchen.

"Oh my! Where is my wallet?" he asked, dramatically, feeling around his trench coat. Grinning, Maniac pulled out a flat red and blue leather wallet out from behind him. Farrell smiled approvingly.

"I see you've been practicing. Well done, lad. You're a good boy, a wonderful student. As a reward, I got you a little something." He reached into his jacket pocket, his expression morphing from pleased to frustrated.

"Now where did I… oh, they were right over…"

"Lose something?" Maniac grinned impishly, clutching a pair of wooden drumsticks. Farrell looked mildly confused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"M'boy, you're too talented for your own good, I tell ya."

"So these are for me?" Maniac asked, turning the sticks over carefully in his hands.

"Yup. This way you won't have to drum just your fingers on everything in sight. You've earned 'em. Merry Christmas, Matt."

"Thanks!" said Maniac excitedly. He started tapping out a familiar rhythm on the kitchen table.

"That 'Deck the Halls'?" asked Ferrell.

"Hey, 'tis the season."

"You're okay, Matt, you're okay." said Ferrell, slapping Maniac on the back. He retorted by giving him a playful punch in the arm, then went back to drumming.

"I'm gonna need my wallet backnow, kiddo."

"Aww…"

 **Era's Note:**

 **That was a LONG chapter… Holy Chaos, I didn't know it would be that long… Hope that got you excited for the sequel. Unfortunately, don't expect to see it for about a month. Sorry. In the meantime, check out my current story,** _ **Shattered Thorns**_ **. Hope to see you there! (;**

 _ **Halo's Note:**_

 _ **What is it about depressing stories that are so darn fun to write?**_

 _ **You guys have no idea how long me and Era been waiting to write this sequel. Personally Manic (or Matthews, or Maniac, take your pick) is my favorite, both in Underground and in this story. We've thought up enough funny situations for him and the other characters to… oh, I don't know, fill a book. Good thing, too.**_

 _ **I don't know when we'll be publishing the first chapter of 'The Long Road Home' (right now, both of us are working on completing 'Shattered Thorns' before anything), but know that when we do, you're gonna want a front row seat. To keep up to date on this story's and other story's progression, I suggest you go ahead and follow Era.**_

 _ **See you guys in 'The Long Road Home!'**_

 _ **-HaloEssence11**_ _ **1**_


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